VS America provides adaptable, ergonomic, and sustainable educational furniture for K-12 schools, colleges and libraries. VS America designs flexible environments that promote collaboration, mobility and student well-being, supporting active learning to enhance focus and overall engagement. Their products include chairs, tables, desks, storage, room dividers, display boards and even “floor-level learning” environments for younger children that encourage play while learning.
The company describes itself as a traditional family business in its fourth generation that has been supporting the development of modern learning environments for more than 125 years. VS America prides itself on its independence, which it says enables its staff to focus on the highest quality — from production to close, personalized customer support. The company’s motto is “Take Care of Students — The Rest Will Follow.”
VS America imports its product line from its European manufacturing plants. No different from other businesses that serve educational institutions, demand for VS America's products can be highly seasonal.
VS America wanted to formulate a supply chain strategy for right-sizing its distribution footprint and improving the end-to-end flow of products from its manufacturing plants to its end customers. VS America selected JLL as a trusted business partner to validate the company's supply chain strategy as well as support its execution.
JLL offers expertise that spans network optimization, site selection, facility design and technology integration. It works to foster supply chain strategy, with end-to-end support during implementation and execution. “The right location strategy reduces supply chain costs, increases speed to market and boosts your bottom line,” says Rich Thompson, international director, supply chain & logistics at JLL.
“VS America selected JLL through a formal process to serve as our strategic partner in identifying a long-term distribution solution that aligns with our complex operational needs — including extreme seasonality and future growth,” says Corey Mabry, director of operations at VS America.
At the start of JLL's engagement, VS America maintained two distribution facilities in Houston, TX and Charlotte, NC. The furniture maker wanted to assess whether changes in its real-estate footprint might improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
To support VS America's supply chain needs, JLL organized a multi-disciplinary team of subject matter experts, covering the areas of supply chain, facility design, real estate advisory, and brokerage.
JLL's supply chain and logistics solutions consultants examined the supply chain strategy, advised on the pros and cons of implementing tactics to unlock value, and provided insights on how to manage peak, pre-build inventory.
The result was a much clearer picture. In collaboration with VS America's executive leadership and supply chain/operations group, JLL conducted a comprehensive analysis to evaluate the current network and make fact-based recommendations on the most optimal distribution network.
The assessment was based on objective criteria, encompassing shipping logistics, transportation costs, customer service requirements and potential mitigating factors that could influence the facility's location. VS America says JLL's expertise provided valuable, impartial insights to support VS America's decision-making process.
JLL identified opportunities that could alleviate capacity issues as well as reduce operating costs. JLL and VS America are currently working to implement recommendations resulting from the project work.
“JLL brought a rare combination of supply chain insight and real estate execution expertise, helping us evaluate alternative distribution models and pinpoint opportunities to improve service and reduce cost-to-serve,” says Mabry. “Their data-driven, unbiased approach saved us valuable time and delivered real clarity — positioning us to make confident, cost-effective decisions that benefit both VS America and our customers.”
Resource Links:
VS America, https://vsamerica.com/
