Furthermore, we can make recommendations on the specific area in Florida for you to locate your outsourced fulfillment solution. There are a number of different areas within Florida:
Why Florida Warehouses are a Great Option for Your Businesses’ Storage, Fulfillment, and Shipping Needs
Because Florida is so large, there are multiple areas with varying fulfillment options. First, Jacksonville offers a northern Florida solution that has a closer proximity to other Southeastern U.S. states. Second, Orlando is a relatively large market within Florida that is also close to Tampa for distribution within central Florida. Finally, the greater Miami area is by far the most popular area for fulfillment due to population concentration and proximity to Latin America. Among the cities with great fulfillment options in the Miami area include Hollywood, Ft. Lauderdale, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Boca Raton.
If you’ve ignored Florida as a main hub for your warehousing, you’re missing out on a major part of the state’s industry. Statistics show that the logistics industry employs more than half a million people in Florida. You’ll also find some of the top logistics companies here, which isn’t surprising considering it’s an advantageous location on the map.
While you may instantly think of Miami as a top spot for warehousing, the whole of Florida is ideal for reaching various ports. Plus, with the state’s easy access to global markets through the Atlantic, you can basically cover the world after finding a warehouse in any Floridian city.
The question is, which cities benefit you the most based on your own business structure and products? Thanks to over 14 Florida cities having ports, the options are open for transporting goods to any place, including quick delivery within the Sunshine State.
We want to help you form a partnership with the best fulfillment companies and warehouses in Florida. We have different solutions that will reduce your time to market. For details on third-party logistics in the Sunshine State, please fill out a form to get connected to the best order fulfillment services companies in Florida!
Florida Warehousing & 3PL Companies in Florida Have Convenient Port Locations
The state of Florida has 15 sea ports for shipping along the coast or around the world. Nine of these ports are located in southern Florida and seven ports are located in eastern Florida. The southernmost port is found in Key West. If you are concentrating on shipping to states located around the Gulf of Mexico, Florida has eight ports located in the Gulf.
3PLs in Florida Can Ship Regionally, Nationally, or Globally for All Your Fulfillment Needs
Some Florida fulfillment companies will service only one region, such as the Southeast, and others will maintain major distribution centers at every big port. In Florida, major ports are located in Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa. Every locale in between can be serviced by smaller ships as well as air and ground logistics companies, but they don’t accommodate major merchant vessels. Our fulfillment companies want to minimize your order fulfillment needs and help you maintain lean inventory levels in your warehouses.
What Services do Fulfillment Companies in Florida Perform?
We often get asked by people in everything from start-ups to locally owned Mom-and-Pop stores what we do for the profit-based firm. A fulfillment service meets the needs of brands in at least one region by delivering products to consumers faster and at a lower cost per item. For example, with a fulfillment service, a provider can collect items that customers order online or in the store and then have them assembled at the appropriate warehouse, packaged, labeled, and shipped directly to buyers. This helps the brand to focus more on production, marketing, and sales and to reduce shipping costs. Meanwhile, by outsourcing fulfillment, a firm keeps production levels more closely aligned to market demand. There is less excess inventory on hand. A firm can schedule workers to produce more when demand increases and can reduce employee output when demand decreases.
What Services do Ecommerce Fulfillment Companies & Order Fulfillment in Florida Perform?
Ecommerce fulfillment companies specialize in storing, fulfilling orders and shipping orders for ecommerce sellers. Typically, ecommerce fulfillment companies in Florida can integrate with any major online web store or shopping cart (such as Shopify fulfillment integration 3PLs in Florida), and can also integrate with other online sales channels, such as Amazon FBM or FBA, eBay, and more.
By integrating, e-commerce fulfillment services can automatically receive orders from your sales channels and fulfill them without any manual intervention. Furthermore, they can send your company or your customers all of the tracking information to monitor shipments. Finally, they provide robust reporting to monitor receiving, inventory, orders, and shipping online in real-time.
What Services do Florida Warehouse Storage Companies Perform?
Warehouse storage companies typically focus on the storage of goods, usually placed on pallets. Warehouse storage is used by companies for overflow storage, or for companies that utilize B2B shipping that requires pallet in/pallet out services rather than picking, packing, and shipping of individual orders for consumers.
3PL Full Services Logistics Services for Large Enterprises Versus 3PLs for Small Business in Florida
It’s important to understand the distinction between 3PLs in Florida that work with large enterprises versus those that focus on helping startups and small businesses. Many warehousing companies in Florida only work with companies that ship over 500 or 1,000 orders per month. However, thankfully, there are some great warehouse options that work with low volume shippers.
Top Florida 3PL Companies and Warehouse Locations to Best Serve the Southeastern and Eastern US
If you’re considering 3PL warehouse companies in Florida, you’ve made a smart move for distributing goods in the southern U.S. Florida is already known for a lot of things, though you don’t hear a lot of talk about the useful ports there. Florida has numerous ports for cargo shipments, plus major interstate highways that reach all of the state’s main cities.
Perhaps you want to corner the southern U.S. with your products after neglecting the area for far too long. Choosing Florida is a prime spot because of the above byways connecting easily to places like Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Alabama.
Plus, using the best ports in the region, you’ll have access to many international markets, including Latin American countries. However, China is accessible from this vantage point as well.
Florida has many 3PL companies as a result of the above conveniences. Not all 3PL warehouses are perfect for you, though. That’s where we can help you here at WarehousingAndFulfillment.com.
Let’s take a look at the various ports in Florida, roadways, and the most advantageous cities nearest these distribution centers. You’ll be enlightened knowing Florida has 14 major ports up and down the coast. Here’s top cities for warehousing service companies in Florida where you have plenty of multimodal choices.
South Florida 3PLs
In south Florida, both sides of Florida include large metropolitan areas with populations over 200,000. There are the millions living in Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, and Broward counties on the east side of the state. To the west, there are the cities of Bradenton, Sarasota, Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Naples. At the tip of the Florida peninsula, there is a hub in Key West, which does have some specialized fulfillment needs because it’s so distant from the mainland. From this favorite haunt of Ernest Hemingway to Miami, the nearest port, is a 3-hour drive.
Miami and the Port of Miami is the #1 Destination for Warehousing Companies in Florida
You have to consider Miami first because of its perfect location and being near the Port of Miami. Thanks to recent capital improvements at the port equaling $1 billion, they’re ready for the next generation of containerized cargo. For a nearby warehouse, this is important having state-of-the-art equipment at the port for faster deliveries to important overseas markets.
The Port of Miami is one of the biggest and most important ports in all of America. Frequently called The Cargo Gateway of the Americas, you have a lot of benefits having a 3PL center near Port Miami. The reason is that further growth will occur in the coming year thanks to the Panama Canal’s new expansion.
Mega-size cargo ships will soon come through this port as the above new process take place. You can already enjoy some recent improvements by using the recently opened Port Tunnel, which gives you a direct connection to nearby railways and highways.
It’s true that Miami can help you reach many markets you’ve perhaps never considered. They have frequent sailings to the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Plus, it only takes 3-4 days to reach Midwest markets like Chicago, or up to New York.
Because warehouses and fulfillment centers in Miami are very competitive, it’s not always easy to find one there. So consider some other nearby cities offering intermodal ways to deliver your products.
Northern Florida 3PLs
This region spans from the Panhandle on the west near Alabama all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. Big cities include Pensacola, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Ocala, and Jacksonville. If you venture a little south, there are also the cities of St. Augustine, Cocoa Beach (near the Space Center), and Daytona Beach.
The Port of Jacksonville Offers an Alternative for Fulfillment Services Operations in Florida
While a slightly smaller port, the Port of Jacksonville is worth mentioning here because it provides considerably more interstate distribution. With three cargo facilities available, they can ship products to the U.S. Midwest as well as the Southeast. In fact, they cover up to 48 states, most of which they can reach in one day by truck service.
Being near the Jacksonville Port Authority also helps, especially with its diversity in the type of products it ships domestically and internationally. Recent reports show this port had a record-setting year for container cargo business, proving how essential of a shipping hub it is.
If you need to corner markets like Puerto Rico, this port is a leader in shipping goods there. Despite being in Florida, you can still easily ship your products to China.
The Advantages of Using an Intermodal System in Northern Florida
Through other ports like The Port of Fernandia (in Fernandina Beach), you can enjoy using an intermodal shipping system. Being not far away from Jacksonville International Airport, you have quick access to air delivery in any market.
Railways are extensive near this port and include CSX Railroad, Merchant Train, and Double Stack Intermodal Train. First Coast Railroad is additionally available, which gives you convenient short line rail service.
Interstate highways like I-95 and I-10 provide immediate access to cities like Orlando and Tampa.
Growth of Public Warehousing Options & Jacksonville, Florida 3PLs
A lot of big-name distribution centers have popped up in Jacksonville lately, though you’ll find some small to mid-sized 3PL warehouses in the region as an alternative to Miami. Many warehouses in the Jacksonville area now make major lists for being some of the fastest-growing in the city or state.
Pensacola, Florida is a Less Popular Option for 3PL Services in Florida
Being near the Gulf of Mexico has benefits since any warehouse in Pensacola has Port Pensacola nearby. They offer one of the quickest transits through the Gulf, helping you get your products faster to foreign markets in the Latin America and Caribbean regions.
The connectivity in Pensacola is impressive, including a Class 1 rail line, interstate I-10, and Pensacola International Airport. You’ll be able to take advantage of full marine terminal services that range from bulk to special project cargo.
Logistics jobs are plentiful in the Pensacola area, so you know you have a lot of warehouses to choose from.
Central Florida 3PLs
Here, we find the busiest 70-mile corridor in the state because of the close proximity between Tampa and Orlando. Don’t forget that there are also Melbourne and Lakeland to round out the home of Florida’s orange growers. Central Florida is serviced by many operators.
Port Tampa Bay & 3PL Warehouses in Orlando Florida for Central Florida Distribution and Shipping
Here you have the largest port in the entire state of Florida, and they only continue to expand year by year. Being near Tampa is an outstanding choice because you can distribute goods quite easily through central Florida regions. Port Tampa Bay facilitates this through their focus on shipping significant industrial products.
International trade through this port is quite important and includes countries like India, Mexico, Russia, and even Japan. Port Tampa Bay is the #1 economic engine for West Central Florida, giving every incentive to choose warehousing in Tampa first if Miami isn’t available.
A true strong point using Tampa’s port is they give you more cost-effective shipping options. They use the I-4 corridor for local distribution as well as into the above-mentioned southern states.
To show you an example of how much logistics help Florida’s economy, Tampa and Port Tampa bring in $15 billion in annual economic impact. It gives proof of how well-centered Florida is for reaching virtually all markets. Even reaching Midwest states is only a few days out by rail or truck.
On a more local basis, you can ship to eight million consumers within the state. You can reach 30 million more people within just an eight-hour drive.
Key Fulfillment Company Data in Florida
If you’re planning on bringing your business to Florida, there are many factors to consider. To help with your decision, we’ve provided some key data so that you can better know if Florida is a good fit to locate your third-party warehousing and fulfillment services.
It’s also important to look at the top businesses in the state of Florida. Doing so can help you understand what industries thrive in the state, what competition might you encounter, or whether or not your business could cater to an untapped niche. Here are the top 10 businesses in the state of Florida:
Average Warehouse Storage & Fulfillment Pricing in Florida
Florida has long been the choice of many companies for outsourced fulfillment because of its business friendly environment as well as its lower cost structure compared to other southeastern US states. Florida is an affordable option from a fulfillment pricing perspective, but tends to run slightly higher than the national average. Below are some of the fees and prices in Florida, as compared to the US overall.
3PL Warehouse Companies in Florida: Reaching Your Distribution Goals in the Southern U.S.
Florida offers a wealth of options for eastern US warehousing and fulfillment operations. While shipping to all destinations throughout the US isn’t as cost effective and time sensitive as a more centralized option, Florida serves as a great hub for both local businesses and companies that interface with Latin American markets. It’s important to vet any 3PL company near these ports, highways, and railways. Contact us here at WarehousingAndFulfillment.com so we can help you make the right choice for your business.
The Most Popular Fulfillment Warehousing Services in Florida – Find out Which Companies are the Best
Lists of the best fulfillment centers in Florida dominate the top search results. Does this mean they are truly the best if they’re listed on these websites? Not necessarily. Sometimes, they just pay the highest fee for placement. The vendors in our network are compiled using honest reviews from users and feedback our company has collected since 2005. We are the only unbiased source for fulfillment matchmaking. Fill out a form or call us today to get your best matches>>>
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