Reinventing Drop Shipping and Fulfillment for the New Economy

In our ever-changing world of virtual companies and fly-by-night spammers, scammers, and assorted charlatans, its nice to know that some business to business web companies still do things the right way. They provide a valuable service at a reasonable price, and they make life a whole lot easier for their clients.

(PRWEB) March 11, 2004 -- In our ever-changing world of virtual companies and fly-by-night spammers, scammers, and assorted charlatans, its nice to know that some business to business web companies still do things the right way. They provide a valuable service at a reasonable price, and they make life a whole lot easier for their clients.

Apollo Fulfillment out of Northborough, Massachusetts is one of a new breed of web supply-chain companies that is virtually reinventing the way America does business.

At its core, Apollo Fulfillment provides drop shipping and fulfillment services for its clients. The Companys primary offerings are focused on the red hot health and nutritionals market. But the service and expertise that Apollo Fulfillment provides extend well beyond the usually limited role of the traditional drop shipper.

Trade journals are applying terms like e-fulfillment or virtual-shipper to the innovative companies that are taking the lead in this new way of servicing businesses. Companies like Apollo Fulfillment, and there are still very few of them, operate as almost a centralized clearinghouse of expertise, industry savvy, and operational outsourcing for their business to business partners.

In the case of Apollo, for instance, they bundle together services as varied and valuable as basic shipping and fulfillment, inventory outsourcing, web development and marketing, customer service and customer retention, new product acquisition, expert content in the form of articles, reviews, and opt-in email marketing newsletters. Its an extensive list and it allows Apollo Fulfillments business partners to focus their time and effort on growing their individual businesses and consolidating their operational efforts.

I spoke with Bob Myhal, the President and Co-founder of Apollo Fulfillment, about his company and the rapidly changing nature of ecommerce.

Question: What makes Apollo Fulfillment unique and different from a traditional drop shipping company?

Bob Myhal: What we offer at Apollo Fulfillment is the most comprehensive outsource solution for order fulfillment, customer service, and web site development and marketing within the health and fitness industry. Weve spent years developing our expertise in this arena, and we provide our partners with the ability to immediately leverage that expertise and grow their business exponentially. Its really a revolutionary approach to outsourcing.

Question: Whats the difference maker between you and other fulfillment companies out there?

Bob Myhal: For one thing, our technology platform is superior. Weve developed a number of custom technology tools that are truly unique. They allow us to simply outperform the competition and more fully service our clients.

Question: So you are a tech company in the sense that youre developing your own proprietary technologies?

Bob Myhal: In a sense, though I dont consider us a technology company per se. Theres no doubt that the technology we have in place is simply outstanding. We couldnt function as well as we do without it. But the technology is a tool that we use to enable us to better service our partners. Its not an end in itself. I think thats an important distinction. Some companies get so caught up in the technology that they loose sight of the business fundamentals. Weve made it a point to make servicing our clients our number one priority. Any technology that we develop is geared towards helping us better achieve that goal.

Question: So youve developed a lot of this technology on your own?

Bob Myhal: We have an excellent team in place. Our CEO and Co-founder Nick Chunias has lead the charge to develop the technologies that can seamlessly integrate order and fulfillment flow. We work with a number of talented people, and Nick is really an operational genius in his own right. The end result has been a technology platform that is second to none.

Question: In addition to the technology, what else do you offer your partners that you think distinguishes your service?

Bob Myhal: Unsurpassed expertise both in ecommerce and in the health and fitness market segment. Its an unbeatable combination.

Question: Judging from a recent search I did, it seems that you have personally become a bit of a health and fitness guru on the web.

Bob Myhal: Its part of our goal to provide people with honest and straight-forward information about health and fitness. Theres so much noise and hype in the market place. Weve developed a loyal following by putting good content out there and providing people with the knowledge they need to maintain their health in a contemporary world that is becoming increasingly complex and hectic. I am personally trained as an academic. I spent years teaching in a university setting. A lot of what we try to do on the web comes from that experience. Its about educating people and providing the knowledge they need to make healthy choices.

Question: How does this knowledge and expertise play into the business to business services of Apollo Fulfillment?

Bob Myhal: Its absolutely integral. We know ecommerce and the health and fitness market inside and out. We can identify the trends early on. We can provide partners with expert content and industry insights they simply cannot get anywhere else. It gives them an immediate strategic advantage. The way I look at it, we know what it takes to get the job done in this market and we share that knowledge and expertise with our partners.

Question: What do you see for the future of your Company and for e-fulfillment in general?

Bob Myhal: I think good companies with solid fundamentals will thrive in the next 5 years. Theres no doubt that ecommerce will continue to gain a larger market share of total retail revenue in fields like health and fitness. We are still very early in the game. Weve developed a technology platform that will form a rock solid foundation for future growth. But most importantly, as a Company we understand what I would call the duel realities of ecommerce and the space that were in. On the one hand, we know that the new economy will continue to evolve and cutting-edge businesses like Apollo Fulfillment will need to be flexible enough to adapt to the rapid pace of these changes. On the other hand, the fundamentals of running a good business will remain constant. In building a solid foundation, weve rooted ourselves well. Im excited for what the future holds.

For additional information about Apollo Fulfillment and the programs and services they offer, you can visit them online at apollofulfillment.com.