Lyons, Saddle Creek's founder, dies at 85

David Lyons, the founder and chairman of third-party logistics provider Saddle Creek Logistics Services, died today in Winter Haven, Fla., after a brief illness. He was 85 years old.

Lyons founded Saddle Creek in 1966 with one 12,000-square-foot warehouse in the central Florida town of Lakeland, where the company is still headquartered. Privately held Saddle Creek has grown into one of the country's largest family-owned 3PLs. It is an asset-based provider, and has been at the forefront of the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) as its energy source.

Lyons remained active in Saddle Creek's operations up until his death. He is survived by his wife, Connie, two children, and five grandchildren.