Outdoor recreation company Coleman Australia has topped the outsourcing of its national product distribution to leading logistics provider Northline with its most successful stocktake ever.

Since 2007, Northline has distributed Coleman products to more than 300 retail outlets nationally, which include Kmart, Bunnings, Big W, Harris Scarfe, BCF, Anaconda and Kangaroo Tent City. In August, Northline completed a two-day stocktake for Coleman at its Sydney distribution centre, delivering a record-beating result in terms of the stocktake’s speed and accuracy.

Coleman Brands Asia Pacific National Logistics Manager Lazaros Ypermachou said Northline’s organisation, preparation and execution of the stocktake was first class. “Every person involved in this year’s stocktake had nothing but positive comments to make about Northline,” he said.

“The most important factor of a stocktake is an accurate account of what we have in the warehouse because it lets us know what we have in order to sell it. Northline’s team completed the stocktake in minimal time at a reduced cost with minimal disruption to our everyday business.

“The organisation of the stocktake was definitely first class. Northline’s stocktake was executed exceptionally well by its staff in the warehouse and the result is the best we’ve ever had.”

Coleman is a leading global brand in outdoor products that has operated in Australia since the 1940s. Coleman’s current product range includes tents, sleeping bags, air beds and pumps, coolers, chairs, tables, lights and cooking appliances.

Coleman recently expanded its Australian presence when it acquired the iconic Esky brand. Northline has already added Esky products to the inventory it distributes for Coleman.

Northline is an Australian logistics company that specialises in servicing remote locations throughout the country. The privately-owned business, which employs more than 400 people nationally, provides freight, contract logistics, international freight services and undertakes special projects throughout Australia.

Coleman Brands has been a major Northline customer for two and a half years, utilising Northline’s Contract Logistics and Transport services. For the first year, Northline serviced Coleman exclusively from its state-of-the-art distribution centre in Sydney.

Since August 2008, Northline has also provided contract logistics services for Coleman from its Brisbane distribution centre – which recently moved to the northern suburb of Pinkenba. Sharing Coleman’s logistics between Sydney and Brisbane enables Northline to optimise product distribution to stores throughout Australia using its integrated national freight network.

Mr. Ypermachou said Coleman had chosen Northline because it offered the best value for money. “Competitive pricing and Northline’s personalised service were key factors,” he said.

“Our organisation has never gone down that path of operating warehouses internally because it’s too expensive and complex to manage ourselves.

“Northline has a very good understanding of our priorities. With a demanding delivery requirement and high volume of timeslot delivery needs, Northline has performed exceptionally well and continually meets our high service expectations within the KPI (Key Performance Indicators).

“While all 3PLs (third party logistics providers) can come close to meeting their KPIs for getting the right goods to the right place at the right time, what I’ve appreciated about Northline is its ability to go above and beyond what that KPI is to meet our requirements. Northline displays the ‘can do’ attitude you would expect from a major service provider to a major account and the partnership Coleman Brands has formed with Northline will continue into the future.

“I would thoroughly recommend Northline to prospective customers with the knowledge that the service and relationships they will form will definitely offer significant improvements and business opportunities, as they have for Coleman Brands.”

For more about Northline’s Contract Logistics and Transport services, visit www.northline.com.au.