When Erin Mitchell joined YMX Logistics as COO in January 2024, she brought more than two decades of experience in supply chain, technology, and logistics with her. Kraft was her first job out of college, where she had majored in Information Systems. At Kraft her early projects consisted of the co-development of Oracle Transportation Management, supporting the Kraft Private Fleet, as well as projects around Food Safety and Inventory Traceability. After that she continued her work bridging operations and technology, working on a variety of enterprise supply chain projects until Kraft and Heinz merged in 2015.
After completing her work leading the integration of inventory between the Heinz and Kraft instances of SAP, Mitchell was offered the opportunity to lead the North American logistics footprint project for the newly-merged companies. “We were combining the expansive Heinz logistics network with Kraft’s logistics network,” she explains, “with a focus on driving operational synergies, benefiting grocery customers, and driving cost reductions for the newly formed company” That feat involved operations consolidations, building and network expansion, several greenfields, and developing and executing a labor sourcing strategy.
“Leading up a signification portion of the Kraft Heinz merger activities was both challenging and fun – the speed at which we learned, planned, and executed was like nothing I’d ever seen before and I loved it.”
Exploring New Opportunities in Logistics
After helping to successfully orchestrate the merger of Kraft’s and Heinz’s logistics networks, Mitchell found herself leading the North American warehouse distribution network for Kraft Heinz, overseeing over 100 warehouses and five distribution networks, spread across the country. It’s there that she began to see a real need for a modern, unified yard management system (YMS) that did more than just manage yard inventory and dock door assignments.
At one point Kraft Heinz put in a YMS that served its core purpose, but their yard services vendor wasn’t eager to innovate and integrate the new functionality that would meet the global food manufacturer’s needs. “We had huge facilities that employed hundreds of people and we’d waste labor dollars when our yard services provider failed to execute,” says Mitchell, who also knew that the company’s yard services vendor was struggling to maximize its potential. “There were days we couldn't get trailers in and out of dock doors fast enough, and our vendors weren’t always aligned to the operational objectives of the distribution centers and factories they were hired to support.”
When YMX Logistics’ Founder and CEO Matt Yearling brought up to Mitchell the idea of creating an integrated yard management services company, one that combined technology and superior execution, Mitchell jumped at the chance. She’d spent much of her career working on very large projects for a huge conglomerate, but this was Mitchell’s chance to join a startup that was making some real momentum in a space that was near and dear to her heart.
“When Matt told me about this exciting new venture, I understood just how much opportunity there was to bring better service, better technology and an integrated supplier into the yard space,” she recalls. “I was really intrigued and saw it as a chance to help deliver on some of the yard management elements that were missing when I was at Kraft Heinz, including yard vehicle electrification.”
In fact, Mitchell sees YMX Logistics’ partnership with heavy-duty electric truck manufacturer Orange EV as a critical aspect of the total, integrated yard management package. “I really like sustainable electric trucks because of the better work environment they deliver for drivers, who are no longer exposed to exhaust fumes all day,” says Mitchell. “The heavy-duty EVs are also quieter and produce less vibration. From an organizational standpoint, EV users also gain from increased vehicle uptime and fuel benefits that can translate into significant savings, depending on how many EVs are deployed.
Grabbing the Bull by the Horns
In her role as YMX Logistics’ COO, Mitchell has responsibility over the company’s service delivery organizations (Dedicated Freight/Trucking and Yard Logistics Operations), both of which are primarily focused on delivering customer solutions. She is also responsible for Customer Solution Development, Fleet Transformation and Safety, IT, HR, and Customer Success. “I spend quite a bit of my time searching for the best talent and scoping out what we need as a rapidly-growing organization,” says Mitchell. “We’re always looking for team members who can join us in delivering customer solutions and superior execution that support our growth strategy.”
Right now, Mitchell’s teams are also working closely to develop several turnkey logistics solutions for specific customers. Those platforms include hardware, software and vehicles—all of which converge to form a complete, integrated yard management solution. Putting together these packages can be a bit overwhelming for customers, but YMX Logistics puts their minds at ease with a highly consultative, supportive approach that extends well beyond initial implementation.
“We work to understand their problems and goals,” Mitchell says. “Then, rather than having our customers make a series of one-off decisions and worry about integrating all these pieces, we do all of that work for them.” As a longtime YMS user, Mitchell says she wishes her vendors had offered this type of turnkey, integrated yard management approach when she needed it most.
“It was frustrating to experience failures in the yard that had rippling impacts on our transportation and warehouse operations, not to mention the cost impact” she says. As an organization, YMX Logistics takes a top-down approach and ensures that its customers have systems, technologies and tools in place to ensure continuous improvement in the operations that it supports.
“When you get YMX, you’re really getting a turnkey solution, excellent service and a vendor that will integrate with you,” she explains. “I love transportation, warehousing, factory support and technology - joining YMX was a compelling opportunity for me to support those functions while also growing a business.”
Never Say No to a New Opportunity
Speaking to other women who are in either established or up-and-coming supply chain roles, Mitchell’s advice is to “don’t be afraid to do something you've never done before.” In fact, she’s made it her career mission to not say “no” to new projects.
“I received that advice early on from a seasoned leader, who told me people were going to ask me to get involved with projects and lead initiatives that would make me uncomfortable – but that being uncomfortable means you are growing.” says Mitchell. “I've made it a point to not say ‘no’ to those opportunities, and as as a result I’ve met great people and been able to help shape an industry.”
