Sean Klimson
I utilized what I had learned, both good and bad, from my previous employer to create what KLS is today.
Sean Klimson is up.
Who are you and what do you do?
Sean Klimson, founder of KLS - Klimson Logistics Solutions. We are a logistics provider with nationwide coverage focusing on LTL, FTL, Drayage, and Refrigerated/Frozen shipping.
Our niche industries are CPG and Household Goods. I've been in the industry for over 11 years and have had my company for over 4 (Covid Baby)! Our company prioritizes communication, transparency, and response time.
We believe in doing logistics different and doing logistics right. That is the KLS way.
What did it take/how did you get started?
I graduated at 20 with my MBA, but had no work experience. Farmer's Insurance hired me as an agent and I did that for 10 months before I walked away.
I was at nationals for 12" softball and one of my teammates offered me a sales position for his logistics company. I was there for over 7 years until I left in 2020 to start my own agency.
I utilized what I had learned, both good and bad, from my previous employer to create what KLS is today.
I believed there was a better way to do things operationally, a different culture that could be curated, and the ability to create true change for not only our team but our clients.
What does the future look like for you and your business?
Continued growth and exposure. In the beginning of 2023 we began our "Together Talks" campaign which is designed to highlight and promote other companies.
I interview a company and we share their story across all of our social platforms. They receive free publicity and we continue to expand our network.
I have yet to find anyone in our space doing anything to promote others in this fashion.
For us it is about getting introduced to incredible companies, sharing the pain points, triumphs, and lessons learned along the way that any entrepreneur can gravitate towards.
Our company, while lean, is incredibly efficient and productive. We want to continue to grow our client list, our profitability, and our team.
I'm still young in this game despite a decade of experience as I am only 32. I have at least another 10-15 years in me and am excited to see just how big we can grow KLS.
What drives / motivates you on a daily basis?
Creating a living. The pressure to survive then thrive for myself, my team, our clients.
The responsibility to show up day in and day out and consistently deliver repeatable results our clients are accustomed to when working with KLS.
Four short years but we have developed a reputation. Our internal goal is to be the best customer service 3PL in the country.
The highest aspirations, but something that continues to motivate us to never get content with our process.
What advice would you give someone interested in doing what you do?
Be careful what company you start working with. Barriers to entry are incredibly low in our industry.
Try and do as much research as you can about the industry prior so you can spot initially whether a company/boss truly has the insight to train and lead you.
I knew nothing about logistics when I started. I was a sponge early and then took it upon myself to learn as much as I could on my own.
I put myself in a position where I had enough experience, reps, and knowledge to leave and bet on myself. It is a highly competitive industry that will test your patience.
Be prepared to be rejected often, but if you can overcome that and stay the course it can be a very rewarding industry to be a part of.
What has been the hardest part of your business journey?
Covid, new 3PL, behind the scenes. Covid: We opened 4/28/2020. It was a blessing and a curse in that we weren't incredibly busy so I could get a lot of the business aspects taken care of.
At the same time I had a staff to worry about making payroll and us not failing. New 3PL: We had an agreement with the same 3PL I was operating under as a salesman.
When I notified my agent I was leaving, they had to give approval to corporate to let me sign on as an agent with the same company. They refused to allow me to work on my own.
I had to find a new 3PL that took me a little over a month to lock everything down. That meant my clients were not being serviced (or not to my level) for about 6 weeks.
It was incredibly stressful and difficult, but in the end it worked out. Behind the scenes: I had to file as a LLC.
Get a new accountant, bookkeeping, telephone, internet, equipment, offices, contracts, credit card, supplies
Everything that goes into a fully functioning business I had to learn on the fly and implement immediately.
How have you managed burnout thus far?
Great question. It goes back to the responsibility I mentioned. There are hard days, there are long days.
2021 our industry was on fire, we had our biggest year. It came with me working 14 hour days plus weekends to stay afloat with our workload.
Then it returned to more normal in 2022, 2023 was slow across the board for everyone and it is bouncing back in 2024.
I've created a great life for myself and my team. We have 401k, we offer great amounts of vacation time.
My team is like my family (there is some family too, my baby sister is our operations manager).
I have to be successful, so our company is successful, so they continue to have this stability.
That is an immense amount of pressure, but I thrive knowing we are providing.
We provide for ourselves, our families, but also our clients. We are providing an opportunity for companies to have their logistics handled flawlessly.
The chase and the grind is almost addicting. We reach what we think is our peak and then we burst through and find a new level we are capable of.
The more companies we can help, the bigger we can grow our team and provide better lives and careers. It all goes hand in hand, full circle.
What are a few resources that you'd recommend?
For entrepreneurs in general check out our website.
We have the "Together Talks" campaign which is just endless content of incredible insight from those who have talked the talk and walked the walk.
Also we have "Business Resources" which have been suggested to us from our collaborators.
Specific for the industry use podcasts or social media. See what other companies are posting, what industries they target, then try to find someone to shadow or pick their brain.
Not everyone is willing to help a ton, but you might get a solid 5 minute convo from them or an email with some tidbits of information.
The STATS
List the founders
Sean Klimson
How many hours a week do you work on this hustle?
50+
# of Employees?
2
When did you start?
April 28th, 2020
How much did it cost to launch?
A couple thousand dollars
What were your funding methods and ballpark amount raised?
Self-funded
Annual revenue?
$3M
Projected revenue?
$3.5-4M
What's the #1 thing you need right now?
Mentor, Staffing, Sales
Social:
KLS Klimsonls