The biggest supply chain company you never heard of

When executives of TranSystems mentioned some of the 40 supply chain consulting, engineering, and technology firms the company has bought in recent years, the reaction from press conference attendees was always the same: "I didn't know that." Just a few of those mentioned: warehousing consultants and engineers Gross & Associates, transportation consultants Manalytics International, aviation experts Campbell + Hill, and systems integrators ESYNC. Executives currently are looking at acquiring more supply chain service firms.

TranSystems' practice areas include supply chain assessments, security, design and optimization, and systems selection and implementation. The company also offers Lean and Six Sigma implementation, real estate and asset management, simulation and analytical modeling, demand and inventory planning, facilities and material handling design, and systems integration, among others.