.O. Metro, a retailer of "specialty lifestyle" home furnishings, has chosen Transplace, Inc. to provide all of the company's inbound international and domestic logistics. Transplace kicked off the new relationship by taking over I.O. Metro's import orders for international shipments and domestic inbound transportation to the distribution center in Bentonville, Ark., as well as to stores. The retailer just opened its seventh store in Memphis, Tenn., and has plans to add four a year over the next five years. It sources furniture from 14 countries, while maintaining an in-house product-development team. According to Transplace, a provider of both logistics technology and transportation-management services, I.O. Metro was looking for a strategic partner that could grow along with the company. It was drawn to Transplace's experience in domestic logistics, as well as the vendor's offering of personalized international logistics services. Jay Howard, chief executive officer of I.O. Metro, said implementation of the deal was "seamless."
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