Mitchell Companies Enhances Beverage Distribution Performance with Descartes’ Routing Solution


SAN DIEGO and ATLANTA, Sept. 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq: DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announced that Mississippi-based Mitchell Companies, a total beverage distributor and longstanding Anheuser-Busch wholesaler, is using Descartes’ route planning and execution platform to enhance customer service across six locations in three states through more effective routing, improved driver performance and better visibility into sales and distribution operations.

“As our customer base expanded and evolved, we outgrew our legacy system. Without the capacity to frequently and thoroughly review delivery patterns and imbalances, inefficiencies crept into our distribution workloads,” said Will Woodall, Sales Execution Coordinator at Mitchell Companies. “With Descartes’ solution, we’ve doubled our rerouting frequency and it’s no longer a full month’s effort with multiple resources exchanging and debating team knowledge to do so. For each location, we now strategically reset the distribution network twice a year to maximize distribution efficiency and keep delivery productivity high. Plus, we’re able to reduce driver churn by ensuring more predictable days with no delivery backlogs and minimized overtime—a critical benefit given the industry-wide struggle to hire and retain Class A drivers.”

Descartes’ route planning and execution platform helps food and beverage distributors, like Mitchell Companies, ensure optimal distribution performance. With strategic route planning, companies can determine the best distribution strategies to minimize costs and maximize customer service by easily redefining the delivery network to keep pace with demand fluctuations, new customer service policies and ongoing growth. Dynamic route planning optimizes daily route execution based upon fluid customer demand. With an integrated GPS-based mobile application, the solution helps drivers execute routes efficiently and proactively address disruptions in the field as they occur. Electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) captures delivery details and streamlines the delivery process. Additionally, the solution improves delivery sustainability through increased route productivity, which lowers CO2 emissions per delivery, drives fuel savings and eliminates paper manifests and documents.

“We’re pleased our solution has helped Mitchell Companies adapt distribution operations in step with changes in its customer base and business growth,” said James Wee, General Manager, Routing, Mobile and Telematics at Descartes. “In wholesale distribution, exceptional sales and delivery teams are important factors for success and our routing and mobile technologies help heighten sales performance and keep delivery operations running efficiently to meet high customer service requirements.”

Descartes is showcasing its routing and mobile solutions for beverage distributors at Booth 602 at the NBWA Annual Convention in San Diego, CA from September 29-October 2, 2024.

Learn more about Descartes’ solutions for food and beverage distribution.

About Mitchell Companies

Founded in the 1940s, Mitchell Companies is a family-owned beverage distributor based in Meridian, Mississippi. The company has experienced steady growth throughout the years, including through acquisitions, and today serves customers from four locations in Mississippi as well as operations in Baltimore, MD and Washington, DC.

For more information, visit www.mitchellcompanies.com.

About Descartes

Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, schedule, track and measure delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world's largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack
Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025
cstrohack@descartes.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes’ routing, mobile and telematics solution offerings and potential benefits derived therefrom; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes’ most recently filed management’s discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.