The New Warehouse

🎯 Why Anchor Tenants Are Game-Changers for Startups? Today's post is based on one of Marc Gorlin's quotes from the latest episode released on The New Warehouse Podcast about Roadie. For those unfamiliar, in real estate, an anchor tenant is the big-name store that drives traffic to a mall. In the startup world, it’s not so different. An anchor tenant for a startup is that early, often well-known customer who gives your product credibility, feedback, and—most importantly—momentum. 👉 Here’s why landing one matters: ☑️ Social Proof: If a respected company is betting on you, others will take notice. ☑️ Revenue & runway: Early revenue from an anchor client can give your startup the lifeline it needs. ☑️ Product validation: They help shape your product into something market-ready through real-world use and feedback. ☑️ Talent magnet: It's easier to attract great people when you're solving a real problem for a known brand. ☑️ But here’s the kicker: not all startups qualify for an anchor tenant early on. The difference? Those who qualify: ✅ Startups that solve a hair-on-fire problem for a specific type of customer. ✅ Founders who deeply understand the industry they're building in. ✅ Teams that can deliver—fast, flexible, and willing to iterate with the customer. Those who don’t qualify usually: ❌ Are still figuring out product-market fit ❌ Have a generic or "nice-to-have" solution ❌ Can’t yet support the needs of a scaled, demanding customer If you're building, think about who your anchor tenant could be. And if you're in a position to be one—realize the leverage and impact you can give to a startup solving your problems. Let’s normalize anchor tenants as strategic growth partners, not just early adopters. Let's discuss your thoughts on this in the comments 👇

Are you suffering from digital pollution? Stop breathing in that bad data! I was joined by A.K. Schultz of SVT Robotics at ProMat to catch up on the latest with SVT and the industry. In his eyes, data is the critical part of an operation. Finding the way to utilize that data and make it useful is the challenge and his goal is to make sure there is transparency around it. Did you know that there is a massive amount of data that just never gets utilized? That's the digital pollution. Watch the full conversation below or on The New Warehouse YouTube channel to hear how SVT is addressing this digital pollution and also what A.K is seeing in the market.

😏 Ever shipped a lost suitcase in the back of a stranger’s car? That’s (almost) how Roadie started. When Marc Gorlin needed to get a tile floor in another city, the idea hit him: what if regular people heading in that direction could deliver things on the way? 🤔 Enter Roadie — the crowdsourced delivery platform that was born out of a very real-life shipping headache. From "DIY logistics" to building a nationwide delivery network, Marc Gorlin turned a scrappy idea into a smart, scalable solution. Sometimes, innovation starts with a busted FedEx plan and someone who really wants new tile.

“There are nearly 250 million passenger vehicles with 4 billion cubic feet of excess capacity—more space than UPS, FedEx, the post office, and every courier combined.” Marc Gorlin, founder of Roadie, shares how a broken tile delivery inspired a crowdsourced network that now powers same-day delivery for major retailers. From oversized grills to farm feed, Roadie XD brings big and bulky into the same-day era—powered by real people, real cars, and real flexibility. “You should be able to track the stuff coming to you the same way you track a pizza.” 🎧 Tune in now: https://lnkd.in/emadE-8B

📈 Everyone wants growth. But at what cost? 🤔 We’re seeing more and more companies expand by creeping into adjacent markets—sometimes even stepping right into a competitor's lane. Retailers becoming 3PLs. Tech companies launching physical fulfillment solutions. Logistics firms adding software arms. It’s a natural evolution in a hyper-competitive landscape… but it also creates a lot of overlap. The lines are blurring, and the race to own more of the customer journey is on. That’s why companies like Dematic are so sought after right now. Instead of trying to be everything, they’re doubling down on enabling others—building automation, software, and intelligence that powers operations behind the scenes. In a world where everyone’s trying to do it all, sometimes the best move is to help others do it better. Thoughts on this trend? Are we headed for convergence—or chaos?

✨ Facilities are lean by design — great for efficiency, but tough when it comes to balancing daily order volume and strategic initiatives. There’s often no “extra capacity” for innovation, tech upgrades, or process improvement. 🚀 That’s where the power of Supply Chain Alliance comes in. Collaboration across the supply chain — with vendors, tech partners, and even peers — can unlock shared resources, faster insights, and smarter solutions. You don’t have to solve every problem in a silo. The future of operational excellence isn’t going it alone — it’s building the right alliances to move faster and adapt smarter. Are you seeing this play out in your network?

🚛 Driving Growth Through Strategic Supply Chain Efficiency 🚛 At Supply Chain Alliance, growth has never been about speed alone — it’s about intentional, value-driven partnerships that stand the test of time. Their journey has been defined by: 🔗 Creating custom supply chain collaboration models that unlock real value 📊 Delivering measurable efficiencies and cost savings for their partners 🤝 Building long-term relationships rooted in trust and transparency 📦 Helping companies evolve their supply chain strategies through every market shift Efficiency isn’t a buzzword for them— it’s a discipline, a mindset, and the foundation of how they do business. They’ve grown by staying true to what works: listening, optimizing, and delivering. If you're looking to scale with purpose and create impact through your supply chain, they’re here to make that happen. Here's a clip from Darryl Nelson, Principal and Practice Leader at Supply Chain Alliance, sharing a little bit of what their business is, and how they are helping others scale in this industry.

👉 How much of a difference does it make to work with a consultant who has real industry experience, someone who’s been on the floor, versus someone who’s academically trained but hasn’t lived the day-to-day challenges of warehouse operations? 🎯 Find out in the latest episode of The New Warehouse Podcast with Darryl Nelson of Supply Chain Alliance. 🚀 He explains how operational consulting can uncover hidden value, fast-track initiatives, and turn struggling distribution centers (DCs) around in weeks. From proactive assessments to urgent turnarounds, this episode explores how to maximize value with the right partner. 🎧 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/eJtZkfdq

🚁 30 Minutes. Thousands of Scans. One Game-Changer. Nokia's AIMS drones are raising the bar for automation in warehousing and logistics. These autonomous indoor drones can complete full inventory scans in under half an hour, dramatically cutting down on manual labor and reducing costly errors. 📦 For supply chain teams, this means: Real-time, accurate inventory data Fewer stock discrepancies and write-offs Increased labor efficiency and 24/7 cycle counting Faster response to demand shifts and disruptions What used to take days can now be done in minutes—with precision. As warehousing complexity grows, technologies like this will be the backbone of resilient, data-driven supply chains. 👏 Hats off to Nokia for pushing the envelope on what’s possible in smart logistics.

I had a supply chain legend on the podcast! Jim Tompkins joined The New Warehouse recently and it was fantastic. Back in 2019 when I was thinking about starting the podcast and maybe trying to dive into a career in consulting I sent a cold message to Jim asking his advice on getting started in consulting. His first piece of advice: "Don't do it" 🤣 Well, Jim knows a thing or two about consulting and the supply chain because he's been doing it for just about 50 years now and may have just potentially been the first warehouse consultant in existence as I learned in our conversation. He was also the first one teaching any type of course on warehousing itself during a time where warehousing was not even seen as a career. We've come along way and Jim has been there for all of the pivots, disruptions and advancements in supply chain. He drops a ton of knowledge and insights in this podcast and gives some great perspective on what the next wave of the supply chain, happening right now, is going to look like. Spend 45 minutes being a student and listen to Jim in this episode. https://lnkd.in/exiEswzW