Klaussner Home Furnishings has engaged Salem Logistics to exclusively handle all transportation and logistics for the top-five furniture manufacturer.

The transportation program will be gradually phased in during the coming months, beginning with all outbound shipments to retailers from Klaussner's Asheboro, N.C.,-based manufacturing facilities, soon followed by shipments originating at the company's plants in Iowa and California.

"We built this business on shipping truckloads of product to some of the nation's largest retailers," says Jeff Davis, Klaussner's vice president of business development. "A lot of those retailers don't exist anymore, so while we'll continue to support full truckload shipping, we're transforming our business to provide the best in transportation and logistics services to smaller retailers as well."

Salem president David Eshelman says the deal had been in the works for more than a year. "This has the potential to transform both Salem Logistics and Klaussner Home Furnishings."

Among the key services Klaussner will offer its partners as part of its new consumer branding initiative is a less-than-truckload shipping program, which allows licensed stores to operate with minimal inventory while still guaranteeing their customers delivery of select items in seven days or less. Custom orders are guaranteed in 30 days or less.

"None of this would be possible without the transportation solutions that Salem is providing us," says Chuck Miller, vice president of supply chain management.

Visit www.salemlogistics.com.