COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (October 23, 2008)—Averitt Express, a leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management, recently began a supply chain partnership with footwear retailer Shoe Carnival. Averitt is now moving all of Shoe Carnival's shipments from the retailer's distribution center in Evansville, Indiana, to stores across the country.
Officials at Shoe Carnival said they chose Averitt to handle all their shipments based on a number of factors, and that Averitt's professionalism ranked highly.
"Averitt's drivers are an extension of our team here at our distribution center," said Shoe Carnival Traffic Manager Richard Hyland.
Hyland said another thing that greatly influenced Shoe Carnival’s decision was Averitt's flexibility and willingness to "think outside the box."
"Averitt has shown they can be innovative and make changes quickly when needed," he said. "They're always aware that things can change in the future, and they have to be ready to adapt."
Averitt has earned a reputation for establishing good communication with shippers and providing them with custom-tailored solutions. Hyland said Shoe Carnival's experience has reinforced that.
"The number one thing is communication, and Averitt has been excellent in that regard," he said. "Without communication, this kind of partnership suffers. Averitt has shown that they value good communication as much as we do.
"We were looking for someone who could help us go from the 300 or so stores we have now, to more than 700 in the future," Hyland said. "We feel that with this relationship, we can experience long-term growth together."
About Shoe Carnival
Shoe Carnival is a chain of 307 footwear stores located in the Midwest, South and Southeast. Combining value pricing with an entertaining store format, Shoe Carnival is a leading retailer of name brand and private label footwear for the entire family. Headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, Shoe Carnival trades on the NASDAQ Stock Market LLC under the symbol SCVL. Shoe Carnival's press releases and annual report are available on the company's website at www.shoecarnival.com.
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 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, warehousing services and transportation management. For more information, call 1-800-AVERITT or visit http://www.averittexpress.com.
