Ernst & Young ENTREPRENEUR of the YEAR

James Berlin

Logistics Plus, Inc.

The day that GE Transportation Systems outsourced its logistics program was a good day for James Berlin.  When the transportation industry supplier named him to run its new outsourcing function, Mr. Berlin founded Logistics Plus, Inc., the supply chain logistics management company that he now runs.

            Since 1996, when Mr. Berlin was Logistics Plus’ sole employee and its operations were entirely based in Erie, the company has expanded to include more than 90 employees in nine countries around the world.

            Mr. Berlin credits the diverse experience of his now-burgeoning staff and Logistics Plus’ customer-focused spirit for the company’s domestic and international success.  Under Mr. Berlin’s guidance, Logistics Plus employees are directed to tailor the company’s supply chain logistics management programs to its customers’ specific needs and requirements.

            In addition to serving as both and importer and exporter, the company offers source consulting, warehousing and inventory management, freight administration and transportation services to its clients.  It can then use these capabilities to create transportation packages for each of the businesses it serves.

            Employees, with such resources at their fingertips, are given the ability to make major decisions in creating client service packages.  This tailor-made system for customers creates a quick response time for transportation requests. 

Logistics Plus, the company expects, will grow along with the rest of the supply chain management industry at a rate of at least 50 percent each year.  While it continues to expand, Mr. Berlin, who hopes to foster an entrepreneurial work environment with Logistics Plus, believes that it must remain careful of its own growth to avoid falling prey to bureaucratic tendencies.

            In the interest of Logistics Plus’ longevity, Mr. Berlin approaches the idea of seeking venture capital with caution, because he believes that such funding has the potential to diminish the potency of an organization’s leadership.  The company, he insists, will seek the funding of venture capitalists only if it chooses to expand aggressively.

            With that in mind, Mr. Berlin hopes to continue to develop the skills of his multilingual, multinational staff, which he says will allow the company to grow just as it began: on its own terms.

                                                                              - by Meghan Martin