192 | BusinessWorld | August-September 2014
recent success has come from amassing
collective smarts in the chemical and
industrial warehousing and distribution
spaces and offering them back to clients as
part of amenuof cost-saving solutions.
“Companies are looking to outsource to
reduce fixed expenses, and to enjoy
leveraged scalability and flexibility,”
O'Donnell said. “Our leadership in
regulator y compl iance affords our
customers a high level of confidence in
outsourcing to us. We've got competencies
that most 3PL (third-party logistics)
warehouse services providers just don't have
– risk management, regulatory compliance
and operational know-how about safely
handling packaged hazardous and non-
hazardous chemicalmaterials.”
The customer resonance the company has
got ten when present ing i ts va lue
proposition, O'Donnell said, is the product
of simply having a different discussion with
prospective clients than some competitors
might be having. “I can see customers
relying on us to outsource some of their
compliance work streams,” he said. “Much
like some transportation players take on a
manufacturer's entire transportation group.
“We're focused on demonstrating how our
solutions can help the client increase
revenues, better manage working capital,
while alsomitigating risk.Ours is a different
conversation, and it's also a different
audience. It's really more the C-level and
not so much the tactical level. That's how
we differentiate ourselves with our
prospects and customers.”
The Inland Star operation was founded as
Star Warehouse Company in 1981 before
changing its name four years later. Co-
founder Michael Kelton, now the firm's
chairman and chief executive officer, began
by providing regional warehousing and
transportation ser vices. He quickly
expanded the company's suite of offerings
using a focused marketing plan and new
communications strategy.
“Early on we detected ample demand for
warehousing of chemicals, but also the
absence of companies with the required
