When a global manufacturer of medical supplies and protective solutions acquired a specialty products manufacturer, the company needed warehousing space to store and distribute product across the United States. The need was straightforward at first: one facility, one region, one contract. As the manufacturer’s business grew through further acquisitions and rising customer demand, that single warehouse eventually became five. Enter Bonded Logistics, a distribution and fulfillment 3PL partner for growing manufacturers within the AWI Network.
The Challenge: A Growing Footprint Outpaced a Single Warehouse
The manufacturer’s initial ask was manageable: secure warehousing space for storage and distribution after the acquisition of a specialty products manufacturer. Bonded Logistics developed a strategy centered on a 96,000 square foot public facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, a location that put a majority of the US population within a day’s reach. The setup worked well, so the customer kept coming back with more.
Organic growth and additional acquisitions pushed the company’s needs further. As volume increased, so did the complexity of managing it. The expanding manufacturer needed a partner who could work within its ERP system and track inventory by lot in case of a recall, expiration issue, or production difference across two divisions of the company. The stakes only grew heavier as the product line expanded.
“Bonded has been a longstanding partner of ours. We work well together, always figuring out how to adapt to changes and make sure we capitalize on them. They definitely take a partnership approach instead of just being a vendor. That’s allowed us to pass on more responsibility as our business continues to grow.”
— Director, Distribution Services, Medical Supplies and Protective Solutions Manufacturer
The Solution: What a 3PL Partner for Growing Manufacturers Delivers
Bonded became a 3PL partner for growing manufacturers by building the manufacturer’s network step by step rather than all at once. The original 96,000 square foot facility grew to 150,000 square feet as demand increased, then expanded again when Bonded took over an additional 230,000 square foot public facility. Over time, the partnership settled into a five-facility network spanning 440,000 square feet, split between two dedicated buildings and three public ones.
Alongside the physical footprint, Bonded layered in the systems and services the customer needed to manage a growing, multi-division operation:
- ERP-Aligned Operations: Bonded trained its staff on the company’s own ERP system early on, managing picking at the pallet and case-pick levels
- Lot-Level Tracking: Every pallet was tracked by lot to support recall readiness, expiration management, and production differentiation
- WMS Integration: As the manufacturer upgraded its own ERP, Bonded integrated the Cadence warehouse management system from Cadre Technologies to streamline operations
- Operational Transparency: The integration gave the customer visibility into product movement, warehouse audits, and customer buying patterns
- Value-Added Services: Bonded added retail tagging, returns processing, repackaging, and pick-n-pack support for the company’s samples operation, along with an in-warehouse testing center to speed product delivery
The Results: Five Facilities, One Long-Term Partnership
Decades into the relationship, the numbers reflect a partnership built for scale. Bonded Logistics now supports the manufacturer across a network that handles high volume with consistent accuracy.
| Category | Measure | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Facility Footprint | Total warehouse space | 440,000 sq ft |
| Facility Footprint | Facilities with inventory | 5 |
| Throughput | Inbound loads | 110 per month |
| Staffing | Dedicated employees | 75 |
| Throughput | Cases shipped | 46,500 per week |
| Quality | Shipping accuracy rate | 99.98% |
The operations team attributes the results to a shared approach: keeping the manufacturer focused on the broader supply chain while Bonded focused on distribution. Both companies have participated in lean sessions together, reviewing processes end to end to understand challenges from the company’s side and its customers’ side alike.
Why It Matters: What a 3PL Partner for Growing Manufacturers Looks Like
This manufacturer’s story shows what happens when a warehousing relationship is built to expand rather than simply to hold inventory. A 3PL partner for growing manufacturers cannot stay static. Requirements shift with each acquisition, each new division, and each system upgrade, and the provider has to keep pace without asking the manufacturer to start over somewhere else.
Technology integration matters just as much as square footage. Bonded’s shift to a dedicated WMS, aligned with the company’s own ERP, gave the manufacturer the transparency to audit its own supply chain rather than take a provider’s word for it. That kind of visibility becomes more valuable, not less, as a company’s product lines and facility count grow.
For manufacturers evaluating a 3PL partner, this partnership highlights the question that matters most: not simply whether a provider can manage today’s volume, but whether it can support tomorrow’s growth. The right partner can adapt to acquisitions, new systems, expanding product lines, and changing operational demands, all without sacrificing the responsiveness and attention that built the relationship in the first place.
Contact AWI for Expert Guidance
Bonded Logistics grew alongside this manufacturer for decades, expanding from a single facility to a five-location network without ever losing sight of what the customer needed most: accuracy, transparency, and a partner who treated growth as shared work. If your operation is outgrowing its current warehousing setup, reach out to Associated Warehouses to start the conversation. We connect manufacturers with vetted 3PL partners for growing manufacturers, with the systems and facilities to grow alongside your business. The service is free for manufacturers.
