Helping Companies meet their Match
By Erica Lamberg
Correspondent

Material Management International, based in Green Brook, is a third-party transportation and logistics firm that matches small and mid-size business with trucking, cargo or freight providers to transport materials of any kind.

As procurement specialists, Material Management will expedite, inspect and traffic goods.

According to John McKenna, company president, his firm maintains a database of more than 2,500 trucking and freight companies complete with an updated inventory of freight capabilities to meet the needs of his clients.

“Our stable of carriers allows us to be a transportation intermediary”, McKenna said. “We know their inventory, have their insurance and make sure they are a reliable firm”.

Another advantage to the customer, he added, is that McKenna can pass on his volume buying power to his customers.

“We pull together a lot of business from a lot of customers, and we can get great rates from these trucking companies,” McKenna said.

Not only are his rates competitive, he said, good service, technology and a favorable reputation keep his business growing.

“Our clients can track the status of their shipment on line 24/7, from the time it's picked up until the time it reaches the destination,” McKenna said.

To meet the needs of the expanding business, Material Management will be moving it's headquarters to Middlesex Borough in September.

“The move will give us more space for sales and operations,” McKenna said.

McKenna, 52, earned a bachelor's degree from Seton Hall University in South Orange . Prior to founding Material Management, McKenna worked with regional motor carriers, truckload specialized carriers and international engineering and construction companies. His international experience has brought him to stints in Irag , Venezuela , Brazil , India , Saudi Arabia and Singapore .

As president of Material Management, he oversees company operations, manages client relations and focuses on new business development.

QUESTION: What is the greatest challenge in operating the business?

 A: Building and maintaining the team. Some of our team have been with us since 1988. The average length of time an employee has been with us is eight years. That's extraordinary for a brokerage. Secondly, getting the word out about what we do and how we do it. There is truly an advantage to outsourcing with us.

QUESTION: What is your business strategy and do you anticipate it changing in the future?

 A: We will always change with the times. You can't move forward without change. As for strategy, we created a comprehensive business plan for growth in 2003 and have been following that plan ever since. We are expanding what we've learned in working with the U.S. government, and we are applying that to working in the private sector.

 QUESTION: Describe the competition and what sets you apart from it.

 A: There are many, many transportation brokers. Most just move freight from one location to another. We get involved in so much more. We're like your own traffic department. We create a relationship with our customers.

 QUESTION: What is your advice to potential operators of a business?

 A: Stick to things that you know. It's hard enough to make a living doing what you know than doing something that you don't know.