How Klean Kanteen uses Flexport to create a responsible supply chain

Klean Kanteen is a leading producer of BPA-free, reusable bottles, cups, and canisters. Headquartered in Chico, CA, Klean Kanteen primarily manufactures its products in Shenzhen, and distributes to all seven continents.

As a certified B-corporation, Klean Kanteen relies on accessible data about the environmental impacts of its supply chain. Traditional freight forwarders provided little visibility into their data, and no estimates of their carbon emissions were available at the time of quote. This led to manual calculations and laborious reconciliation.

Flexport’s Solution

With Flexport, estimated CO2 emissions per shipment is available in one place, prior to booking. Klean Kanteen now makes decisions more strategically, more quickly, and better-aligned with its mission.

“Our bottom line is about more than just profit. Flexport gives us the ability to make hard trade-offs, and hold ourselves accountable. It helps us walk the walk in terms of sustainability. Reduction in annual air shipments, making their supply chain more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.”

–Brett Renlund, Sr. Supply Chain Manager, Klean Kanteen

• 8 hours saved weekly by logistics manager formerly spent going back and forth with forwarders and building manual reports
• 66% reduction in annual air shipments, making their supply chain more environmentally friendly and cost-effective
• 207 tons of CO2 emissions saved (Based on annual projection of 66% reduction in air shipments)

“Last year 1% of our total import cargo was air freight. It accounted for 20% of our annual import freight CO2 emissions.”

–Brett Renlund, Sr. Supply Chain Manager, Klean Kanteen

Origin Story: How Klean Kanteen Found Flexport

One day in 2016, Klean Kanteen Sr. Supply Chain Manager Brett Renlund came across a blog post by Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen describing a Flexport initiative with the Harvard College Consulting Group to create an effective predictive emissions tool.

The Flexport Difference

Once on-boarded onto the Flexport platform, Klean Kanteen got to evaluate the company side-by-side with its traditional freight forwarders. “That was the game changer. It didn’t take long before we were ready to switch the bulk of our freight to Flexport. It was a no-brainer,” notes Renlund.

The ability to manage the entire supply chain from one centralized place enables the Klean Kanteen team to work better, together. “Having everything accurate and at my fingertips allows me to work better with finance, demand planning and our warehouse team,” says Klean Kanteen Logistics Manager, Jim Guenza.

Company Overview

From a service perspective, Klean Kanteen feels connected to their Flexport operations squad. “Honestly, I love our team. They often know even more about our needs and our shipments than I do,” says Guenza. “There are always things that pop up in logistics; that’s the business. But with Flexport, I know they’re doing everything they can and I can see for myself in the product what’s happening. That peace of mind is huge.”

For Klean Kanteen, the ability to be deliberate in decision- making when it comes to environmental impacts is central to the company’s mission. “Last year, 1% of our total import cargo was air, and that accounted for 20% of our annual import freight carbon emissions,” says Renlund. “Flexport helps us to plan better, and strategize to avoid air shipments whenever possible. That control makes all the difference in the world.”

For more information as to how Flexport can bring accountability and peace of mind to your supply chain, contact us here or at (855) FLEX-123.