Regional parcel carrier LSO hires Metzler, industry veteran, as president, CEO

Regional parcel carrier LSO said today it has named Richard M. Metzler, a well-traveled industry veteran, to be president and CEO.

Austin, Texas-based LSO had been without a president and CEO since Rick Jones left last October to become CEO of Van Pool Transportation LLC, a company that provides specialized transport services to students. LSO serves every address in Texas and Oklahoma, major commerce centers in Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and southeastern New Mexico, and multiple points in Mexico. It is owned by Eagle Merchant Partners, a private equity firm in Atlanta.

In his 30-plus year career, Metzler has held top executive and consulting posts at FedEx Corp., DHL Express, APL Logistics, BNSF Logistics, and dedicated contract carrier Greatwide Logistics. At DHL, he oversaw brand management in 52 countries. He served as CEO of APL Logistics, a global third-party logistics (3PL) provider. At FedEx, Metzler's team launched the company's home delivery business. Most recently, he was chief marketing officer of UShip, an Austin, Texas-based online shipping marketplace.

Metzler's strengths lean towards the marketing and sales side, not surprising given his flamboyant and free-wheeling personality. It also makes him somewhat of an anomaly in the operations and engineering-driven worlds of the dual disciplines. In a phone interview today Metzler said he is well-versed in operations and information technology through his years in high-level positions having experts in those areas report to him. He also has been responsible for overseeing cross-functional teams at his previous jobs, which gave him an extensive understanding of the operations side of the business.

Metzler said he delivered a first 100-days plan to the board prior to his hiring, which officially took place on Friday. He did not rule out entering into alliances with regional carriers in other parts of the country, adding that he was surprised there haven't been more of those relationships. Metzler said he does not plan to expand LSO's portfolio beyond parcel delivery services.