Supply chain solutions provider Armada Sunset Holdings (ASH) announced Tuesday the appointment of Chris O'Brien as company president, a new position within the company. ASH has rapidly expanded its business in recent years and looks to build on past acquisitions to further enhance its service offerings to meet the changing needs of its customers.
In an interview with FreightWaves, O'Brien explained that he was attracted to the new position because of the company's strong "customer-first" cultural fit, his alignment with the leadership team, and the company's growth goals and strategic direction , these fit perfectly. With his experience.
As chief commercial officer of Robinson Logistics, O'Brien is known for his ability to drive customer-centric initiatives and lead teams responsible for sales, marketing, public relations and account management. He brings expertise in these areas and a deep understanding of global supply chain operations to lead ASH into its next phase of growth.
ASH, which includes Armada Supply Chain Solutions, Sunset Transportation and ATEC Logistics (formerly ATEC Systems), has expanded significantly through strategic acquisitions in recent years. In 2022, the company acquired Sunset Transportation, a 3PL that serves multiple verticals including freight brokerage, international logistics, and transportation management. The acquisition is a key move that enables Armada Sunset to expand its service offerings and strengthen its position in the 3PL market.
Building on the momentum of the Sunset acquisition, ASH strengthened its portfolio in 2023 with the acquisition of ATEC Systems, a global supply chain solutions provider focused on the food and beverage industry. The acquisition of ATEC enables ASH to once again expand into new markets and diversify its services, particularly in global inventory management, procurement and distribution.
ASH operates across North America and serves clients in more than 60 countries, including some of the largest restaurant brands in the United States, according to the company.
O'Brien said he is optimistic about the opportunities that still lie ahead for ASH.
"Part of my background is figuring out how different products fit and interact, and how to best leverage the strengths of all the different parts of the business for each client. I'm looking forward to executing on our growth story, and I feel like I can help accelerate to move things forward," O'Brien said.
The logistics industry, despite facing challenges such as supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty, continues to evolve and create new avenues for growth.
"The most important thing to me is what happens in the market going forward and figuring out whether it's a demand-driven recovery or a supply-driven recovery. Demand-driven is usually the biggest indicator of a stronger market going forward," he explained.
O'Brien also told FreightWaves that he believes technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning have huge potential to drive innovation in supply chain management. Armada Sunset already integrates these technologies.
“From warehousing to transportation to our engineering teams, they are all very active in deploying AI. I think the beauty of AI is connecting it with people who really understand the industry to provide our customers with the best part of the supply chain. The various parts create various efficiencies,” John Burke, executive chairman of ASH, told FreightWaves.
“We have been building and growing this business very steadily for almost 30 years. We have a private, management-led culture that is very long-term and we can continue to grow and focus for many years to come. Thoughts I’m excited about our growth in the coming years and having Chris lead us and show us where we can add more value to our customers,” said Burke.
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