Parker Scheuermann believes logistics is fertile ground for entrepreneurs and he is in a good position to know, having recently launched a new company called Zero Waste Logistics. Zero Waste specializes in helping companies that need experienced logistics employees for short-term projects.
The idea for Zero Waste was sparked by Scheuermann's observation that the recession forced many shippers, carriers and 3PLs to lay off employees with valuable experience and expertise, he says. "There has never been a greater need for these companies to drive out inefficiencies," he says, "and never fewer skilled people available to work on accomplishing that."
Zero Waste is designed to provide staff augmentation services to help companies work on specific projects for themselves or their clients, he says.
NuWay Transportation is one company that has partnered with Zero Waste. "As a specialized and dedicated hauler, NuWay built its business on solutions design and solving problems regarding the movement of specialized materials," Scheuermann says. "We work with them by providing people who can come in and augment their staff on an as-needed basis."
"Solutions and design work ebbs and flows," he says. "The benefit of using Zero Waste is that NuWay and other of our customers can tailor the size of their professional staff to match their needs."
The greatest challenge in making a start-up succeed is access to the market, says Scheuermann. "Because of he economy there are fewer buyers out there to talk to and those that are out there often are tired of pitches from sales and marketing people," he says. "That is what led us to craft partnerships with specialized niche companies like NuWay, where we can come in as needed to help them build specific services and solutions."
