Last Mile Shipping Solutions for the Perishable and Food Industry: PeriShip

“With PeriShip, customers ensure that their products will arrive in peak condition so they can be enjoyed by thousands of customers across the United States.”

In recent years, there has been a spectacular rise in the number of ecommerce businesses around the globe. It has therefore become imperative for any company to have an online presence and to be able to ship to any location. Connecticut-based PeriShip has successfully ushered in many businesses in all sectors of varying sizes into the online marketplace. PeriShip is a value added service provider that has been providing outstanding service and support to shippers and receivers of food and perishable products since 2001. “We help them put increased focus on the “last mile” of the shipment, the appearance and experience of receiving that package in the comfort of a customer’s own home or business,” said Luciano Morra, CEO.

The company was founded on the belief that there was a void in the shipping industry. When shippers and receivers of perishable food products encountered an interruption in their supply chain flow, they had their issue handled the same way a shipper of books, pens, or apparel would have its issue handled: with a “one size fits all” approach. There was no understanding that a perishable package needed a different level of visibility and issue resolution due to the sensitive nature and emotional expectation that comes with these types of shipments. Hence, PeriShip was born.

Proactively Addressing the Needs of Shippers, Carriers & Recipients
PeriShip’s technology platform was developed from the ground up to proactively address the needs of shippers, carriers, and recipients. The company has applied its patent pending forecasting technology to its logistic management process to cater to the needs of the supply chain stakeholders. Everything at PeriShip is built around the core business philosophy of “managing the loop relationship”. What this means is simple: everything starts and ends with the recipient of the package.

Since 2001, PeriShip has been providing support to start-ups and established eCommerce businesses by sharing critical shipping know-how and by deploying specialized customer service support. The company made the INC 5000 list for the fastest growing companies in 2014 and 2015.

A One-of-a-Kind Company
PeriShip is truly one-of-a-kind. Its specificity in shipping perishable goods combined with the experience and expertise puts it in a niche all of its own. “Our ability to deeply understand the needs and challenges our shippers face, whether it is shipping chocolate in the middle of the summer or packing a week’s worth of prepared meals in environmentally friendly packaging, we can quickly adapt our services to each and every shipper, no matter the shape or size,” explained Luciano.

 A Value-Added Logistics Service Provider
PeriShip is a value-added logistics service provider that caters specifically to shippers of perishable goods. It provides end-to-end management, actively monitoring each shipment within the system via flight status, weather, local traffic, and more. The company’s business is based on proactiveness and quick exchange of information amongst supply chain stakeholders. PeriShip’s services have greatly improved the ability of both internal and external customers to ensure delivery on the commitment day, that transit and customer issues are handled properly, and to avoid as many claims and returns as possible.

If for any reason there is a delay, the Periship team knows that early and concise information is key. Timely information together with effective exceptions management and resolution processes is critical to the creation of repeat business and customer loyalty. In every transaction, the company delivers results that constantly exceed customer expectations particularly during Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter and every other major holiday.

Clientele
PeriShip’s primary customers are purveyors of perishable food products such as: seafood, specialty gourmet products, meat, produce, and high value products like caviar. The company also works with e-commerce companies that sell prepared meals, cheeses, and other specialty items B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer). PeriShip’s services are trusted by the most discriminating shippers and receivers of food perishable products – including signature chefs, premier white tablecloth restaurants, world renowned resorts and casinos, and retail markets that offer only the highest quality.

Looking at the Future
For the future, the company is expanding into freight brokerage, cargo insurance, and other verticals where there is an emotional expectation attached to the last mile and needs to be managed.

PeriShip’s “Wow” Moments
Two large high dollar value shipments for a VIP customer were marked to go to a business address when it was actually a residence, and thus they came back as the address was incorrect. PeriShip was able to correct the address, contact the courier, and give specific instructions as to where the packages could be delivered. The courier was able to reattempt and complete a successful delivery.

A pickup for mother’s milk was missed by the donor, thus putting the donation in jeopardy of spoilage. The PeriShip team was able to reschedule a new pickup with local operations; the milk donation did not spoil and made it to the milk bank to be used in a NICU at a local hospital.

Email from a potential client: “Thank you for treating me like a potential client that matters and for being so prompt. I’ve gotten nothing but the run around and “you’re too small of a business”   attitude from other businesses. Very frustrating. But not with PeriShip!”

Meet the CEO – Luciano Morra
Luciano is responsible for providing strategic direction and overseeing the planning and operation of all services provided by PeriShip. With over thirty years as a transportation and logistics professional, Luciano’s experience includes leadership positions at FedEx^® where he was tasked with the timely and safe movement of thousands of medical and perishable food packages, and for the safety and security of people and assets.

While at FedEx^® , Luciano developed international training initiatives aimed at improving the FedEx^® global program with major shippers. He left FedEx^®  in 2000 to become Vice President of Logistics and Vendor Relations at an internet B2B Exchange service the perishable food industry. There he directed the development of the supplier base needed to support the trading platform and supervised the creation of packaging systems for the shipment of fresh perishable food products. In December 2001, he left the company to found PeriShip.

Luciano and his team understood that first and foremost INFORMATION IS PERISHABLE and any time there is an high expectation of service due to the perishability of the products, a clear, timely, and concise exchange of information amongst stakeholders is critical in order to support the emotional expectations most often present when someone is waiting for a delivery of perishable food.

PeriShip pioneer and fully support the Loop Relation Concept where everything starts, ends, and then restarts again with a successful last mile delivery experience.

“Our customers recognize that we are the Leader in the management of overnight perishable food shipping. When they use our services, they clearly show to their customers a commitment to service, transaction visibility and freshness.”