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www.foodlogistics.com FOOD LOGISTICS • MARCH 2015 31 and outbound," Ridenoure observes. Consolidating freight is an important consid- eration for Sunsweet Growers, the Yuba City, Calif.-based global marketer of prunes, specialty dried fruit products and fruit juices, according to Melanie Foster, distribution and transporta- tion manager. "That saves us money in trans- portation costs and gets it in the door faster versus LTL trucks," she says. Sunsweet Growers also puts a premium on logistics providers than are up-to-date on chang- ing consignee requirements. Customers can have different requirements for things like unloading, hours, and co-mingling of pallets. "Knowing those requirements helps us meet our custom- ers' needs," Foster says. "It's not just a matter of delivering freight and taking it off. Knowing all that's required by the consignee is very helpful." The 3PLs also have to be able to track inven- tory using electronic data interchange (EDI) standards for Sunsweet Growers. The company reviews its 3PLs' performance regularly. "As we see there may be a need in a certain region, we'll look," Foster says. "We are always analyzing our costs and our services." The company has its 3PL partners' ware- houses audited by the American Institute of Baking annually. Foster also visits each location annually to do an inventory and audit. On average, Sunsweet Growers' 3PL tenure averages 10 years. Some are more than 20 years. The company works with warehouses in New Jersey, Atlanta, Chicago, Florida, Dallas, Buena Park, Calif., Modesto, Calif. and Portland, Ore. Flexibility ranks high A 3PL's flexibility is very important to Pre- mium Waters, the Riverside, Mo.-based water bottler, says Craig Havel, director of operations. The company uses 3PLs on a seasonal basis in markets not close to Premium Waters' six manufacturing facilities. The 3PLs must be able to haul bottled water from rented warehouses to customer facilities on a seasonal basis. Demand can change quickly in the bottled water business, Havel says. The company makes it a point to visit a prospective 3PL partner to see if the warehouse is well organized. They also require customer references and good carrier rat- ings. "We don't just talk on the phone and sign them up," Havel says. The 3PLs also have to be proficient tracking inventory with bar codes. All things considered, communication is an important part of the relationship. A 3PL's busi- ness model can change just as easily as their own business model can, says Havel. Sprout Foods, a Duluth, Ga.-based nationwide shipper of organic baby foods, uses Eden Pairie, Minn.-based C.H. Robin- son for inbound logistics and Santa Monica, Calif.-based CaseStack for outbound logistics. CaseStack consolidates shipments from its Naperville, Ill. facility. Sprout Foods' customers include Walmart, Publix, Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Winn Dixie, Bi-Lo, Diapers.com, Amazon, Hy-Vee, HEB, Jewel, Schnucks, Albertsons and Safeway. Dale Caldwell, Sprout Foods vice president of supply chain, says CaseStack makes sure that all carriers are on each customer's approved car- rier list. CaseStack's Internet portal makes it easy for Caldwell to check on deliveries in real time. This is important since customer deliveries need to be received in seven to 10 days. CaseStack is also adept at handling irregular requirements like attaching instant redeemable