# Kenco

> Kenco is a Chattanooga-based third-party logistics company operating warehousing, distribution, eCommerce fulfillment, transportation management, material handling and automation services across North America. Its operating model combines managed logistics with equipment expertise, proprietary optimization tools and a vendor-neutral Innovation Lab.

- **Founded:** 1950
- **Headquarters:** Chattanooga, United States
- **Founders:** Jim Kennedy Jr. (Co-founder), Sam Smartt Sr. (Co-founder)
- **Products:** Warehousing and distribution, Transportation solutions, Kenco MHE Solutions, Innovation Lab, SLOT DC
- **Notable:** 75th anniversary celebrated in August 2025; more than 7,500 team members and 140 locations reported then., Homepage accessed October 2026 lists 141 distribution facilities, 43 million square feet, 33 U.S. states and 390+ customers., 2026 SLOT DC customer case reports $247,000 annual cost reduction, 27% less case-pick travel and 15% less pallet-pick travel.

## Products & services

- **Warehousing and distribution** — Dedicated and multi-client warehouse operations, fulfillment, reverse logistics, kitting and cross-docking.
- **Transportation solutions** — Transportation management, dedicated contract carriage, freight brokerage and parcel management.
- **Kenco MHE Solutions** — Material handling equipment maintenance, fleet management, lifecycle planning and automation guidance; roots in a 1961 forklift dealership.
- **Innovation Lab** — Warehouse technology testing and prototyping; 30,000-square-foot replacement facility announced in August 2026.
- **SLOT DC** — Proprietary AI-driven inventory slotting, zoning and picking recommendations with heat maps and cost-benefit analysis.
- **FleetCloud** — Material handling telematics with safety checklists and real-time location capabilities.
- **Da Vinci AI** — Proprietary AI foundation for control tower, slotting and labor planning applications.
- **Life Sciences division** — Specialized supply chain services for healthcare and life sciences.
- **Contract Packaging Division** — Secondary packaging services integrated with logistics operations.

## Achievements

- 75th anniversary celebrated in August 2025; more than 7,500 team members and 140 locations reported then.
- Homepage accessed October 2026 lists 141 distribution facilities, 43 million square feet, 33 U.S. states and 390+ customers.
- 2026 SLOT DC customer case reports $247,000 annual cost reduction, 27% less case-pick travel and 15% less pallet-pick travel.
- 2026 MHE customer case reports $21.7 million saved over four years.
- 2026 Quest for Quality award in third-party logistics transportation management, announced September 30.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Announced Quest for Quality transportation management award on September 30.
- **2026-09** — Published shared AutoStore fulfillment case study for Jeffersonville, Indiana, on September 4.
- **2026-08** — Announced a 30,000-square-foot Innovation Lab, planned to debut September 2026; opening completion not independently established in this research.
- **2026-05** — Published SLOT DC and Blue Buffalo customer cases.

## Links

- Website: https://kencogroup.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kenco-group
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/kencogroup
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kencogroup1950
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kencogroup/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kenco
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-02