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Apr 21, 2010 3:40 PM, By Charles E Wilson

Dupré Logistics continued...

Finally, the fuel hauling operation that gave Dupré Logistics its start has evolved into the Energy Distribution Services (EDS) division. It still accounts for the highest percentage of the company's revenue and it employs the most drivers (365 of them operating 140 transports).

“Fuel transportation remains an important core element at Dupré Logistics,” says Jim Butler, operations director for the Energy Distribution Services division. “We manage the inventories of thousands of retail and fleet fueling stations and are equipped to offer dedicated fleets. Energy Distribution Services has achieved 99.7% error-free service over the past five years.

“We create value for our customers with a stable, talented, flexible workforce. We have SWAT teams that we can move around our system to launch service for a new customer or expansion into a new area. With six drivers for every two tractors, we can keep our fleet running around the clock seven days a week. We get maximum productivity out of every vehicle.”

The petroleum business has transports based at 15 terminals. Operations extend north to Nashville, Tennessee; east to Birmingham, Alabama; and west to Dallas and San Antonio, Texas.

“We've branched out and expanded to meet customer demand,” says Jeff Leblanc, western region manager for EDS. “We're planning further expansion in all directions, especially in large markets. We want to leverage our position with national accounts. We want to expand at the right pace and make sure we can maintain service levels.”

Recent expansion included opening a terminal in Birmingham, Alabama, in 2009. “This was an exciting move for us, because we see good growth opportunities in our eastern region,” Butler says. “We're also growing to the west. We've increased the number of professional drivers on staff in San Antonio (Texas) and we've expanded operations in the Dallas/Fort Worth (Texas) area by partnering with Classic Star Group Inc, a wholesale-retail fuel dealer.”

Information technology

Along with the other divisions, EDS benefits from a diverse and sophisticated in-house information technology (IT) capability. Dupré Logistics software that was developed in-house, as well as third-party products, enables the company to manage and track any logistics service a customer might require.

“We employ technology as a strategic weapon in the marketplace,” Dupré says in a company marketing brochure. “It's how we give our customers a strong competitive advantage.”

Technology tools include an IBM hardware platform, and Dupré Logistics has developed multiple redundancies to ensure that the system remains operational under virtually any situation. Backup servers are available at multiple locations.

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