COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (May 2, 2006) – VF Corporation, one of the world’s largest apparel manufacturers, recently selected Averitt Express to provide a variety of transportation and supply chain management services.
Averitt will be providing ground transportation, inventory management, distribution, consolidation, deconsolidation, postponement and several other value-added warehousing services for VF. As part of the program, Averitt will be managing shipments from VF’s multiple subsidiaries, including leading product brands such as Lee®, Vanity Fair®, Vassarette®, Wrangler®, Timber Creek®, Jansport®, and Nautica®.
To meet VF’s complex supply chain needs, Averitt will be utilizing a "merge-in-transit" system to deliver VF’s products directly to the VF Outlet stores in the Southeast and Midwest U.S., with the long-term plan of expanding this service to VF’s other retail stores in these regions in the future. Products are sent from the domestic supplier network to consolidation centers in North Carolina, New Jersey and California where they are cross-docked, sorted and ultimately delivered within pre-defined delivery windows to the stores.
"Following an extensive RFP process, several factors played a role in our decision to choose Averitt for this regional program, including their proven service with other national retailers, advanced visibility/EDI capabilities and a management team that is directly aligned with our program needs," said Bill Coxwell, manager of global logistics for VF.
"This is what we like to call 'inventory in flight,'" said Chuck Odom, Averitt’s vice president of global development. "VF's products are affected by seasonality, so speed to market is critical to make sure products arrive on time 'for sale,' rather than 'on sale.' The products are moved through several inbound shipments from suppliers with a minimum stock time. And since the product goes right into our pool points, VF will be able to maintain its time specific appointment deliveries."
In order to manage this business, Averitt has opened a 60,000 plus square foot distribution facility in Charlotte, N.C. with room to grow and availability for multi-client use. The new center will create between 11 and 20 new jobs in the Charlotte area.
About VF Corporation
VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) is a leader in branded apparel including jeanswear, outdoor products, intimate apparel, image apparel and sportswear. Its principal brands include Lee®, Wrangler®, Riders®, Rustler®, Vanity Fair®, Vassarette®, Bestform®, Lily of France®, Nautica®, Earl Jean®, John Varvatos®, JanSport®, Eastpak®, The North Face®, Vans®, Reef®, Napapijri®, Kipling®, Lee Sport®, and Red Kap®.
About Averitt Express
Established in 1971, Averitt Express is a leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management with international reach to more than 100 countries. The company specializes in delivering customized solutions with a single source of accountability for service offerings that include less-than-truckload, truckload, time-critical, importing/exporting and supply chain management. Backed by successful execution for hundreds of customers, Averitt’s supply chain management capabilities include dedicated fleet operations, warehouse management services and transportation management. For more information, call 1-800-AVERITT or visit http://www.averittexpress.com/.
