Supply chain consultant forms logistics project and stocks it with big names

US supply chain consultant Jim Tompkins has unveiled plans to launch a fourth-party logistics provider in a project that will see it “managing a group of prominent companies that will pool their services in an unconventional approach to capturing a share of the fast-growing e-commerce fulfilment market”, initially aiming its services at apparel and footwear e-tailers. The MonarchFX Alliance will see Tompkins bring together US 3PLs Kenco, NFI and an unnamed third, along with technology provider JDA and an undisclosed delivery firm. “By building a network of local fulfilment facilities, Monarch hopes to disrupt the traditional hub-and-spoke strategy of DCs performing last-mile delivery from massive, centralised sites.” There are further plans to introduce the concept for other verticals, including cold chain, bricks and mortar retailers, industrial business-to business flows and project cargo.