MEDINA, Texas - Santa’s workshop may be at the North Pole, but one of his chief logistics companies is sitting in the small town of Medina, Texas and they are already busy making sure that many of the gifts people unwrap on Christmas day find their way down those chimneys, and under those trees. From the biggest toy-makers to the biggest of the big boxes, if the products are on those retailers’ shelves you can bet that the logistics for those shipments have passed through the hands of the team at Barton Logistics. And it’s the thought of making sure those gifts are under the trees of hopeful kids all over, that keeps the energy high in Medina. But making sure all those shipments get to their destinations isn’t child’s play. Barton Logistics has grown at a 19% CAGR over the last 5 years by mastering the fine art and science of retail logistics. It takes a mastery of process engineering to coordinate the complex pick-up and delivery schedules prior to powering a shipment of Santa’s toys. “We’ve provided a lot of consulting services and have provided solutions that hold more value than just moving these retailers’ loads. The largest retailer in the world has a complex web of dependencies within its supply chain and that plays to one of our strengths—mapping methodologies. They count on us to figure out their puzzle,” said Criss Wilson, vice president of operations at Barton Logistics. The key is partnering with the retailers, not just shipping their goods. That means expanding and improving their situational awareness of the evolving supply chain that keeps Santa’s sleigh stocked. “Peak season is starting, but just in time delivery systems and the east coast ports have deferred peak demand a couple of weeks,” said Wilson. Barton Logistics places a lot of emphasis on technology, to enhance Santa’s workshop. Specifically, Transportation Management Systems & Voice Over Internet Protocol using soft switch technology are interfaced to Sequel databases. That allows them to sense the subtle interplay between transportation supply and transportation demand given regions of the country. Call pressure, be it inbound or out, allows Barton dispatchers to gauge where negotiating leverage lies and that knowledge informs our market posture, strategy, and timing. Who knew that being one of Santa’s helpers took so much expertise? “Most people never realize what it takes and how much fun it is to work as Santa’s support on the ground each year,” said Mandy Barton, founder and president. “It’s both a privilege and a joy!”