Tim VandeMerkt, Principal at Strategic Logistics Consulting, LLC, is a highly experienced, career logistics and distribution operations leadership executive with an impressive record of service and cost performance improvement in a wide-range of environments. His expertise is in developing logistics network strategy, Performance Management, process and continuous improvement, and service-level optimization. Pragmatic, hands-on, highly analytical, creating solutions which achieve more with less. Successful engagements or experience in retail (stores and fulfillment), wholesale, manufacturing, e-commerce/catalogue, and publishing. 

Selected Consulting Accomplishments
· Decreased distribution and logistics costs 12.5% for a $40M Toronto-based wholesale   apparel distributor by improving order-picking methodology, parcel logistics rates, and international inbound logistics rates.

· Benchmarked current 3rd party logistics provider services and pricing for a $550M Boston-based small appliance wholesaler; subsequently developed a five-year strategic plan for their U.S. distribution platform which provides for improved customer order cycle time and is projected to save >$59M over it’s 5 year life.

· Identified opportunities to reduce distribution operations and logistics costs 6.4% for a $350M Philadelphia-based appliance/electronics wholesale distributor through freight pricing and distribution and fulfillment process improvements. They had pre-determined doing their own implementation work, so I provided the road map/plan.

· Developed a distribution network analysis for the U.S. distribution platform of an $80M Montreal-based wholesale apparel distributor, which indicated a need to relocate their current 3PL operations to the northern New Jersey market. Subsequently benchmarked U.S. GOH 3PL providers in that market for further exploration. Also validated internal processes at their “owned” Canadian DC were best practices and made appropriate changes.

· Developed a distribution network plan for a $15M Cherry Hill, NJ-based kitchen-counter appliance wholesaler to overcome significant challenges in their Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) business, related to outbound hazardous material content and significant reverse logistics activities. New network leverages (price and working capital) a small number of regional courier platforms, and offered a savings of >14%. Additionally I did an operational assessment of their 3PL operation which supports their growing retail segment, which indicated a need to make changes in internal processes as well as explore different partners to handle that segment.

Selected Career Accomplishments
· A $375M distributor, using a 2-step distribution model (1 central DC serving 16 local DC’s) had network-wide inventory totaling >$110M (~2.7 turns at cost) and single DC order completion rates of <.85%. Similar companies in the same industry were achieving 5.5 inventory turns and had single DC order completion rates >95% using a 1-step model. Developed a plan to move the business to a 1-step model, eliminating the infrastructure and operating costs of the central DC, eliminating the secondary transportation costs of moving product twice per week from the central DC to each local DC, and creating a simpler distribution platform to operate from an inventory management perspective. Re-engineering this distribution model resulted in a $4.1M annual operating expense savings, quicker replenishment of final DC inventory, and reduced total network inventory by >$20M (~18%) within 60 days of implementation

· At a $2.1B publisher/distributor, using a three (3) carrier RFP/negotiating strategy (UPS, DHL, and FedEx), negotiated new rates/contracts with UPS, resulting in $2.6M (11%) annual cost savings and an additional $840K in cost avoidance. Collaborated with my team and colleagues/peers extensively to plan and develop negotiating strategies, negotiating scripts, and use a multi-round process to achieve this optimum result. UPS rates were successfully renegotiated two years prior and we anticipated limited opportunity.  

Education & Affiliations
Bachelor of Business, Transportation/Physical Distribution, Western Illinois University
Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP)
Greater Philadelphia Senior Executive Group (GPSEG)
Yardley Country Club Board of Governors