Learn About Our Problem Solving Skills

With global sales in the billions, Kimberly Clark’s demand spikes are just a fact of life. So when KC calls us and asks if they can send in 200-300 truckloads tomorrow, we’re never surprised. What we are is immediately responsive, either clearing or finding the space every time we’ve been asked. Because, the reality of the situation is, whether it’s tissue paper, towels, or diapers, when stuff’s gotta go, it’s gotta go.

A major manufacturer of household cleaners was consolidating one of its facilities near Augusta. Unfortunately, their warehouse was not ready for the additional inventory, and they were beginning to have problems fulfilling orders due to space, labor, and trucking shortages. Within two hours of a phone call, we had our trucks at the manufacturer’s facility and, for the next four weeks, handled the warehouse over-flow until the consolidated facility was up and running.

When product comes from overseas, the situation can be a lot different from the time it leaves until the time it arrives. One really nasty example of this was Hurricane Katrina. When Henry P. Thompson’s tea shipment left, all was clear. However, as it approached its destination in NOLA, it was obvious that was no longer a viable port. Within days, RBW worked with HPT to reroute to our facilities, saving our client from dealing with the storm by avoiding it altogether.

Going international can not only take you out of country, it can also take you out of your area of expertise. One of our customers recently experienced a big boom, which entailed exporting 90 containers per month around the world. Unfamiliar with navigating the export waters, they weren’t aware that getting over-weight permits and cubing out their containers was an option. RBW worked with the customer and the Georgia Port Authority to reduce the load, saving the happy, and more efficient, customer a bundle.

After a battery manufacturer had scheduled a load of their product to be delivered to Augusta, GA, they suddenly realized they needed to coordinate delivery with pick-up at a different location. Without missing a beat (or the deadline), RBW was able to make the change and report back pick-up and delivery times to the customer. It’s a perfect example of how empowered staff and strong client relationships can make the difference in a seemingly impossible turnaround.

Promotional mailers and catalogs require a tremendous amount of supply chain coordination. Didn’t know if you were aware of that, but they do. Retailers who practice mass mailing often “staff up” to handle their spikes in business immediately after their materials hit customers. Therefore, timing in these instances, is everything. RBW handles storage of catalogs and outbound logistics to ensure that our customers hit their customers at exactly the right time.

Just like the solution to this puzzle, sometimes pushing your business forward simply requires making a few smart moves. While we were warehousing tea for Henry P. Thomson, they began to expand their product lines to offer more exotic mixes of tea. Rather than ship the tea to a secondary location, Henry P. Thomson built a custom tea-blending machine at our facility and outsources blending duties to us. We fondly refer to the machine as “Mr. Tea.” The result: increased profitability for HPT and 40,000 lbs. of tea blending a day for RBW.

That’s big, fancy industry jargon for making sure our customers have what they need when they need it. That, and having the field-vision to see the supply problems coming. At RBW, we began handling this responsibility for Textron Specialized Vehicles to ensure their golf cart production lines never go down, saving them astronomical cost. Since then, this concept has been embraced by other RBW customers who let us be the strong link in their supply chain.

Nylon-6 fiber, know what that is? We didn’t either, until Shaw Carpet told us about their logistical problems in handling its recycling. Nylon-6 fiber, when recycled, is indistinguishable from virgin N-6 product, from which most carpets are made. Shaw operates the only Evergreen Nylon Recycling Center in the world. RBW handles all inbound carpets for reuse, making sure fiber and moisture content are acceptable, and removing all debris and metal objects prior to sending the clean materials to Shaw.