Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Robert Cadena. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Robert, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I was a college student when I was first introduced to the world of supply chain. I worked through school as a forklift operator at a DB Schenker warehouse in Miami. During my time there, I also learned how to do clerical freight shipping computer work. This enabled me to learn more about transportation and logistics, including operations, processes, employee roles, modes of transportation, and more. I learned how materials and products move from one place to another and eventually reach their final destination.
After college, my increased interest in transportation and logistics inspired me to create my own business. In 2001 I founded Chain Express, a transportation brokerage in Florida, which I owned and operated for 10 years until I sold it. When I found it difficult to find available workers in the United States, I knew there is a large pool of hard-working and highly skilled talent in my home country of Colombia. Tapping into the Colombian workforce enabled my business to thrive, and it would also later serve as the model I developed for Lean Solutions Group, the company I founded in 2012 and now lead.
Lean Solutions Group started off small with operations in Cartagena, Colombia. We began with the mission to create the best and most seamless nearshore experience for U.S.-based transportation and logistics companies who were challenged with acquiring skilled, reliable talent and controlling costs. But what sets Lean Solutions Group apart is that we converted an outdated outsourcing model into a better model by which we empower our clients with satellite offices in Latin America staffed by excellent talent. Our sourcing model includes adopting the client’s preferred processes so that their satellite team is essentially an extension of their workforce.
I am grateful to my roots for giving me an advantage and crucial understanding of the talent and strong work ethic and culture in Latin America, which is helping our clients fill in talent gaps, spin up teams and execute business strategies much faster.
Robert, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I was born in Colombia and moved to the United States to attend Florida International University in Miami when, as previously mentioned, I also worked at a logistics company. After graduation, I continued to gain experience by working at another company that is now one of our largest clients. My deep experience in the transportation and logistics industry gives Lean Solutions Group an advantage because we understand our client’s operational gaps and opportunities.
Another factor in our success is that we focus on our clients’ business plans – where they are now and where they want to go. We see opportunities and we are problem solvers. When our clients experience success with us, they trust us to help them improve other areas within their businesses. As a result, Lean Solutions Group has strategically expanded to also offer services that include tech, marketing, and sales support. We have also expanded our offerings into other sectors including retail, warehousing, and healthcare.
Another very important factor for our success is our outstanding culture. We value our employees and want to see them succeed and advance. We invest heavily in training. We believe that a happy, motivated workforce delivers better service to clients than our competitors. Our clients experience it.
As a result of these factors, Lean Solutions Group is thriving, and it is all due to the hard work and dedication of our employees and our amazing clients. Today, our growing workforce of 8,000-plus employees serves more than 600-plus U.S.-based clients from eight satellite offices located in Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Philippines.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Our resilience shone from the start. Although I had knowledge in supply chain and a vision for how to harness the talent from abroad, I had no experience in how to run a business. When I started my first company, I had very limited funds. In fact, you could find me selling lemonade at events just to make ends meet and keep the company afloat. I had to learn quickly how to run a business which included setting up and operating an accounting system, hiring the right employees, and ensuring we delivered on our promises. Those tough experiences taught me invaluable lessons.
Aside from business operations, perhaps our greatest challenge was convincing clients that Colombia was a safe and viable option for outsourced talent. It was a matter of battling stereotypes, misconceptions and language barriers. Years ago, we worked hard to educate the market to dispel those old, lingering myths and gaining the trust and understanding that Colombia is a safe, talent-rich country with smart, eager workers who would enable any business to grow. We overcame peoples’ fears and misunderstandings by inviting prospects to our offices in Colombia where they gained the comfort to trust in us and what we do. Those visits converted prospects into clients.
Today, we host about 3-5 clients a week who visit their satellite offices and meet with their teams.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The 3PL industry is an essential part of the economy. Currently, most of Lean Solution Group’s clients are in the transportation brokerage industry, so understanding and wanting to help this industry perform better has been the driving force behind the creation and success of Lean Solutions Group. Additionally, our leadership strategy is based on the belief that if you hire good people with good hearts, then growth will drive itself.
That belief combined with our commitment to providing remote operational services supported by efficient communication systems, competent and experienced work teams, and established processes, allows for continuity and operational excellence for our clients.
Our company culture is also sacred to me. To create a culture that employees love, I ask them regularly what they need to feel supported. Employee feedback has influenced many of our practices, such as training, regular management check-ins and career path planning. Our employee onboarding and training program is intense to ensure our employees are ready and effective when they begin work for a client. When clients are ready to engage, we have talent ready to go.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.leangroup.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lean-solutions-g/