Technical Services & Logistics Inc.
When a company adopts the name Technical Services & Logistics (TSL) Inc., customers have an idea of what to expect. But with its professionals having a combined experience of more than 30 years in product sales, repair services and logistics, there is more to TSL than just its name. The company provides a multivendor solution for point-of-sales and PC-based barcode scanning, printing, signature capture and radio frequency proximity technologies, and ensures quality by working with certified technicians who offer OEM workmanship on component-level repairs supporting both through-hole and surface-mount technology.
“Our technical capabilities are one of our core strengths,” COO Larry Fox explains. “We have expertise in component-level repair of circuit boards and focus on ESD and ISO standards. The superior engineering skills of our people ensure we deliver very high quality to our customers. All of that is combined with our fast turnaround time, on-time delivery and strength of management. But it all goes back to the highly skilled and highly talented people we have here.”
Based in Anaheim, Calif., TSL was founded by owner Jeff Collins in 2008, Fox says. The company started out offering buying and selling product, and eventually opened its own depot. TSL continued to grow, and just moved into a new 60,000+ square-foot facility in Anaheim, Calif. Customizing its products to suit clients’ needs, TSL offers Depot Repair, Advanced Logistics, Certified Disposal, End-of-Life Services, Short-Term Solutions and Value-Added Final Product Assembly. Fox stresses that quality is of utmost importance to the company, across all of its services.
“All of our products go through 100 percent quality inspections,” he says. “We provide repair and inventory tracking of all products that have been in our facility, and our return rate is less than one-half percent. We have high workmanship standards, and that is the foundation of our quality.”
Goal-Oriented Workforce
TSL’s culture is dedicated to quality in part, Fox believes, because so many of its employees have worked with him and Mr. Collins over the past 20+ years. As the company grew, he and Mr. Collins selected the best in quality and skill sets that they desired for TSL.
“We knew their skills and would utilize them, and in turn, they would help us source, interview and train additional people as the company grew,” Fox says. Now, when people start new with the company, they are paired with one of TSL’s senior technicians until the new employee’s quality and skills meet the company’s high standards.
“We are lucky to have people who are extremely loyal,” he continues. “It really fosters a goal-oriented workforce.”
Even with a highly skilled workforce, TSL understands that its operation must meet high standards, as well, and continuous improvement is a necessity. The industry changes so quickly, Fox explains, and TSL is dedicated to ensuring its operation must evolve along to meet the market’s needs.
“In the last four months, for example, we relocated our operation to the new facility,” he says. “That facility was important for our growth and to continue serving our customers, but we knew we had to relocate without disrupting the work of our customers, and that is what we achieved. We completely upgraded our staging area to be more automated and efficient. Now we are doing more in the same amount of space that we had before, but with room to grow.
“With the holidays coming up, we are gearing up to ensure we’re helping retailers,” he adds. “We can support their registers and lanes, and provide them with spares to cover the busy retail season. That is really a big focus for us this time of year.”
Doubling Business
TSL ensures it constantly meets its customers’ needs by providing continual and regularly scheduled review meetings. Open communication is key to success of TSL and its customers’ businesses. “We receive feedback from our customers’ customers about how we’re doing, and communication is an important part of the service we provide,” Fox says. “We have to quickly adjust to any variables or changes customers see in their business.”
In particular, TSL’s customers have been reacting to the improvement of the economy. “There has been an accelerated investigation into how they can refresh their point-of-sale equipment,” he says. “They haven’t really had the money to upgrade before, but the improved economy is helping with that, even though it’s still at a slower pace than normal.”
As the economy continues to improve, TSL is on pace to continue its growth, as well. Fox expects the company to more than double its business in the next year, and he says it already is on target with the contracts to do so. But it is not just the expanding economy that will allow this, he believes TSL has the necessary skill and internal capabilities to support its goals.
“We don’t want to move again for at least five years, and with this current facility, we can increase our level of business at least four to five times what it is now,” Fox explains. “Additionally, we know we have the talented people who will help this happen.”