Hyper-growth supply chain organization deepens carrier base operations
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (November 16, 2021) – Third-party supply chain experts BlueGrace Logistics (BlueGrace) today announced the opening of its 12th national office in St. Paul, MN. The new location will accommodate the organization’s growing carrier base, shipper customers and leverage talent from the Twin Cities area. The office will primarily consist of Carrier Sales representatives focused on executing freight delivery set forth by shipper customers.
“We consider our Carrier Sales team and the talent of our people a differentiator in the marketplace. Attracting top talent that is able to treat our carriers with the same level of respect and service as our shipper customers is more critical today than ever before,” said Raddy Velkov, BlueGrace’s vice president of Carrier Sales. “We are excited for the opportunities this expansion offers to both current and new employees.”
Jackie Syverson, General Manager of Carrier Sales, will play an integral part in opening the new location and leading the Carrier Sales groups in the office. Prior to BlueGrace, Syverson led several carrier sales and operations groups at top logistics organizations. Since joining BlueGrace, she has been an instrumental part of the growth within Carrier Sales.
“In order to accommodate our growth, technology and service execution, we seized on the massive opportunity to expand into the Twin Cities. The area offers top talent that we are excited to bring into the BlueGrace family. Investing in our carrier sales engine in order to drive world-class service to our shipper customers is hypercritical,” added Syverson.
BlueGrace Twin Cities secured space on the sixth floor of the Osborne370 building located in the epicenter of downtown St. Paul for 15-25 employees with the anticipation of expanding into a more permanent space in the future. There are immediate employment opportunities for the new location. As the company continues its trend of hypergrowth activity, office expansions may be announced in coming months.
Mark Derks, BlueGrace chief marketing officer, will also be located in the Twin Cities office to assist with the local growth strategy and expected office expansion. Derks was previously at another major Third-Party Logistics provider based in Minneapolis and has ties to the area.
“Many of the nation’s top retailers, CPG organizations, and food and beverage manufactures are in the Twin Cities which makes it a growth target for BlueGrace Logistics. Supply chains are under great pressure in today’s market and BlueGrace has the technology and expertise to help shippers and carriers meet their challenges.” Derks said. “Having a strong female leader with deep experience in developing top talent will help diversify our workforce, strategy and local relationships,” he added.
BlueGrace was recently one of America’s 50 leading 3PLs, named a 2021 Top Place for Women to Work in Transportation and selected as a preeminent Third-Party Logistics (3PL) operator for providing outstanding solutions and services based on recent customer surveys from two industry leading publications. BlueGrace was named “one to watch” from Inbound Logistics, placing it near the top tier for the Readers’ Choice Excellence Awards, and was also included in the 100 Great Supply Chain Partners from SupplyChainBrain.
About BlueGrace Logistics
BlueGrace Logistics offers customizable transportation management solutions as a full-service Third-Party Logistics (3PL) provider that helps businesses manage their freight spend through industry leading technology with a large network of established carriers to customers across the country. BlueGrace is based in Tampa, FL, where CEO Bobby Harris was named one of Florida’s most influential executives in transportation for 2021. With 12 offices located strategically in major transportation hubs across the U.S., BlueGrace serves over 10,000 customers annually through its proprietary technology platform, BlueShip®, that has connectivity with more than 250,000 carrier suppliers. BlueGrace is part of the technology portfolio of Warburg Pincus, a leading global private equity firm. For more information on BlueGrace, visit www.mybluegrace.com.