Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in March 2016 by Sharon Vanover. Sharon now works at The Beaufort Bonnet Company as Production Director & Supply Chain and has provided all updated information for accuracy. This post was revamped and edited by Misty Back.

A number of our fulfillment clients are based in Lexington, and they find it advantageous that their fulfillment center is close by. One of the best examples is The Beaufort Bonnet Company.

What Bluegrass learned from The Beaufort Bonnet Company

The Beaufort Bonnet Company is a Lexington-based business that creates upscale apparel and giftable items for babies and children. On Instagram, you can see a glimpse of what this stylish brand has to offer.  But, before they expanded into a household name, with a presence all across the US, Bluegrass handled fulfillment for the brand.  The owners of Beaufort Bonnet truly appreciated having their warehouse, inventory, and shipping partner so close by. That is until they grew so large that Bluegrass could no longer accommodate their order volume! Of course, we miss working with them, but we are so proud of what they have accomplished and take pride in the role we played.

Warehouse tours are key

Like most of our fulfillment clients, The Beaufort Bonnet Company toured our warehouse before committing to work with us. Bert Hutchinson, Chief Administrative Officer, and husband to Markey, the company’s founder, came to visit and we showed him around. We believe a tour is essential for many reasons. For one, we’re proud of our operation and we get to show clients firsthand all that we can do for them. Clients get to meet our friendly staff and see our modern facility. They can size up everything from organization to security. These types of things are very important, especially when your merchandise is high-end and must be handled with care, as is the case with Beaufort Bonnet’s clothing. After seeing our warehouse, Bert was confident that the company’s merchandise would be safe and secure at Bluegrass.

Be our guest!

Companies want to work with a fulfillment partner who wouldn’t mind them coming in from time to time to check on how things are going. Beaufort Bonnet’s product line was constantly evolving, and new products sometimes required our employees to be educated in how bows must be tied or items must be folded before being carefully packaged and shipped. This is the case with a lot of businesses. Clients have preferences for how their products are shipped and presented to the customer and we are here to make sure that is exactly what they get.

We offer guidance through your growth

A lot of young companies try to handle their own packing and shipping but as they grow, they start struggling to keep up. With Bluegrass handling fulfillment, Beaufort Bonnet staff who had previously been pitching in to get packages shipped could start to focus on their real jobs. Our team guided Beaufort Bonnet through processes that allowed for increased styles, colorways, and new product development.

We can also evaluate your order fulfillment, from start to finish, and make some recommendations to improve operations. There are many ways we can help clients improve shipping and inventory. For example, we’ve found suppliers who offer sturdier or cheaper boxes, recommended packing changes that save money and better protect products, and negotiated cheaper shipping costs through one of our shipping partners. The inside information and connections we have can help small businesses grow faster than they could on their own.

When The Beaufort Bonnet Company was purchased by Oxford Industries, we wanted them to have a successful and seamless move. To accomplish this, we facilitated the integration with their new accounting and management software from our systems.

Our remarkable inventory management system

Beaufort Bonnet started growing so fast that we couldn’t keep up! Over a period of three years, their order volume, and inventory units to be received and stored, grew larger than Bluegrass has the capacity to hold. During this time of exponential growth, our high-tech, digital inventory management system proved its worth. We were able to streamline the process of fulfilling and shipping orders quickly and accurately which allowed Beaufort Bonnet to market more heavily and launch new products faster than ever. In turn, their customer satisfaction increased and they were able to generate more revenue. This also meant it was time for them to move on from Bluegrass, but that is something we are proud of.

With our fulfillment software system customer service reps can use it to check order statuses, inventory units available, and create returns. Purchasing agents can track inventory in real-time. Instead of inventory being a burden, it becomes a resource and a tool for planning and projecting the future. When looking at long-term goals and planning, the system provides tons of sales data.

If your company is looking for a fulfillment company to assist with your warehousing, inventory, and shipping, give Bluegrass a call. You can also fill out a form to get a quote today!