MBN USA

June 22, 2021

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Walker SCM finds success in freight forwarding, transportation industries

Inclusion and accountability

By DeAnn Daley Holcomb

U.S. Air Force veteran Emmett Walker might best be described as a serial entrepreneur. His Walker SCM LLC is the holding company for five operating entities focusing on everything from procurement to logistics to contract packaging solutions.

His first foray into entrepreneurship was in 1989, founding Walker International Transportation LLC after working as an export manager for F.W. Myers & Co. Inc., a major northeastern freight forwarder.

 “After my discharge from the U.S. Air Force, I held several positions, which led into the international transportation industry,” said Walker, CEO of Walker SCM. “I discovered that there weren’t many minority-owned businesses in the freight forwarding and transportation industries. Upon this discovery, Walker International Transportation was born.”

Since then, the organization has grown to include five divisions under the Walker SCM brand. He said that while each company has its distinct area of expertise, collectively, they are positioned under the Walker SCM brand to be strategic partners for myriad industries.

Walker SCM includes the following companies:

• Walker International Transportation LLC provides air and ocean freight forwarding and customs brokerage.

• WIT Logistics LLC offers third-party logistics, warehousing, contract packaging, distribution and related services.

•  WIT Trade Services LLC offers procurement and supply-chain integration.

• WIT Freight Services LLC concentrates on domestic trucking and transportation.

• AEL-Span LLC focuses on contract logistics.

Launched in a small home office, Walker SCM now has four freight forward offices in the U.S. and three in the Netherlands, plus offices in Thailand and Hong Kong with plans for further global expansion. In addition, the company has more than 850 employees — including contract workers — and 16 warehouses in its North America footprint, serving clients with a worldwide network in 119 countries. Walker offers global air and ocean freight forwarding warehousing and distribution, inventory management and fulfillment, specialty packaging, customs brokerage, procurement, consolidation and deconsolidation, domestic trucking, supplier relationship management and network visibility services.

Inclusion and accountability

Walker said that his company’s motto is “Relationship-Focused, Results-Driven,” which applies to the people, planet and profit sustainability. Its insight is that the three are not balanced; the vision that Walker applies is People + Planet = Profit or PPP. Profit is a natural result of delivering value to people and customers, while providing value to the planet. It is this type of awareness that has been the foundational belief and core value, leading to the company’s success.

“Walker SCM’s culture is founded on the principles of inclusion and accountability,” he said. “Both senior and junior staff are engaged equally; not only is every layer of the organization’s input respected, but [this equality] drives leadership and accountability.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Walker searched for immediate solutions. “At the onset of the pandemic, we created a team dedicated to responding to the evolving pandemic. This team created protocols and processes which aligned us with our already established business continuity plan, while following the recommended Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines,” he said. “The team met and communicated regularly with all key organizational stakeholders to monitor and continually assess and evaluate the business climate.” 

As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to evolve globally, Walker SCM’s primary focus was — and continues to be — on the health and safety of its employees and communities. “Because of these efforts, we have been able to maintain the stability within our business to operate as close to normal as possible, given the extraordinary circumstances,” he said.

Post COVID-19, Walker said that while he is looking toward a greater future within the transportation and logistics industry, he knows there will be challenges but believes he is well-positioned, given the company’s offerings of unique solutions through continuous innovation.

“Some of the challenges that make the post-COVID-19 environment difficult are the dynamics of e-commerce, labor rates and the emphasis on very strict delivery requirements of one to two days across the country,” he said. “This change will require us to explore strong technology interfaces with artificial intelligence, workplace learning and blockchain applications. We believe that to be marketable and to effectively speak to the new way of doing business, our business units must align properly and acclimate to change.”

Walker added, “In doing this [change], there is greater ability to penetrate and structure multiple venues within the transportation and logistics arena that otherwise would not be accessible.”

To learn more about Walker SCM, visit walkerscm.com.