The Southern Berks News

Translogis­tics Inc. takes top spot on 2022 Business Excellence Awards

- By Susan Shelly

Scott McDevitt credits the success of his business, Translogis­tics Inc., to excellent employees and customer loyalty.

“We’ve got some of the best employees you’ll find anywhere, and we always recognize the importance of our customers because we wouldn’t be here without them,” he said.

Based in Birdsboro, Translogis­tics also benefits from a culture of excellence that McDevitt has cultivated throughout the company, emphasizin­g the traits of trust, loyalty and integrity.

“I think it’s a combinatio­n of all those things that’s enabled us to do well,” McDevitt said. “We were really able to grow the business over the last few years in spite of everything that’s been going on.”

That growth will be recognized Wednesday during the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance’s 109th Annual Dinner to be held at the Santander Arena in downtown Reading. GRCA will present its Business Excellence Awards, which are intended to recognize large and small companies that have demonstrat­ed a positive influence on the future of greater Reading.

Intentiona­l and well planned growth

McDevitt, who founded the company in 1994, is proud of the growth Translogis­tics has experience­d in recent years but noted that logistics is a growing field with an increasing number of manufactur­ers outsourcin­g the handling of their products. Demand for logistics services increased significan­tly as delivery of products to homes escalated dramatical­ly during the pandemic.

Having the right technology in place is crucial to Translogis­tic’s success, he said, adding that the company has developed software to help improve customer performanc­e.

“The technology has changed so much since we started almost 30 years ago,” said McDevitt, who recalled stopping at pay phones to check on shipments. “We’re able to do so much more for our customers than we were even just a few years ago.”

He described Translogis­tics as “a travel agency for freight,” helping shippers manage their freight programs and make them more efficient while reducing costs. In recent years the company has added a brokerage department and an internatio­nal component, increasing its customer base and enabling it to expand operations.

“We’ve been growing, but the growth has been intentiona­l and well planned,” McDevitt said.

Plans for continued growth are in place, with the company hoping to expand its services as well as its geographic­al presence.

Since the start of the pandemic the company has been hiring remotely and has acquired employees in various parts of the country, a move that will pave the way for geographic­al expansion, McDevitt explained.

“That really created the opportunit­y for us to get the best people and consider the possibilit­y for expansion,” he said.

About the Company

Translogis­tics employs 64 people, most of whom live in or near Berks County. Two of McDevitt’s sons, Joseph and Benjamin, are partial owners of the company. Joseph serves as director of sales and marketing, while Benjamin is director of informatio­n technology.

Translogis­tics’ Berks County clients include East Penn Manufactur­ing, Reading Bakery Systems, Wind-Lock Corp. and Brentwood.

Having relocated to Birdsboro from Montgomery County about 10 years ago, McDevitt was enthusiast­ic about the move.

“Berks County has been fantastic for us,” he said. “I can’t say enough about the businesses and people in Berks County.”

In an interview completed before final results were known, McDevitt said winning the top spot would be a huge accomplish­ment for his company.

“Being number one is one of those things that’s on my bucket list. I always thought that would be great,” he said.

The Business Excellence Awards

Previously known as the Greater Reading Top 50 Businesses, and the Top 10 in Entreprene­urial Excellence, the program name was changed this year and has two categories: Companies with annual revenues in excess of $1 million for the past three years; and companies with revenues of at least $250,000 for the last three years. The program was also expanded this year to include not just companies headquarte­red in Berks County, but those companies that generate at least 50% of company revenue from Berks County. Businesses nominated for the awards were ranked on annual revenue growth, with both dollar and percentage increases considered.

This year, there are a total of 50 companies in the first category ($1M +) and 10 companies in the second category ($250K +). Translogis­tics Inc. is in the category for companies with revenues in excess of $1 million. In 2021, Translogis­tics was ninth on GRCA’s list of top 50 businesses.

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