As we exit 2020 and look forward to 2021, maintaining consistent, affordable capacity across the supply chain will be my team’s number one focus at SanMar. Never in my 20-plus years of global logistics leadership have I seen so many facets of the transportation marketplace facing capacity constraints. From the trans-Pacific ocean trade to last-mile parcel delivery, all segments are dealing with capacity challenges.
As the nation’s largest supplier of wholesale apparel that is destined to carry a logo or imprint, SanMar and our customers have been impacted by logistics capacity constraints in nearly every segment of our business. As we head into 2021, I believe it is more important than ever to double down on strategic relationships, ensuring our business is meaningful to all our core carriers. It is a time when we need to be transparent about our business needs and back up commitments with long-term contractual relationships.
While the pandemic has made travel difficult if not impossible, it will be key that we maintain relationships with all key logistics partners. In 2020, we burned through a lot of relationship capital. In 2021, communication will be key for international suppliers and customers — their participation in a synchronized supply chain will be critical to the overall business success.
Country singer Kenny Rogers in his song “The Gambler” said, “You’ve got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, and know when to run.” 2021 is a time when you need to shore up relationships at every level of the organization, ensuring, if carriers are choosing which freight gets moved, yours gets highest consideration.