05 Dec 2024
Matt Pyatt, co-founder of Arrive Logistics, is clear about one of the opportunities his third-party logistics brokerage offers: “We give kids an opportunity right out of college to make a lot of money.” Pyatt and Eric Dunigan started Arrive Logistics in 2014. Although both are from the Midwest, they launched the company in Austin to be closer to some of their initial investors, Manish Patel and Doss Cunningham, executives at Bryan-based food and supplement manufacturer Nutrabolt Corp. and co-founders of investment fund Seed Sumo.
Arrive, which acts as a broker between freight companies and businesses that need to ship products, employs more than 70 people in the Texas capital, with plans to add as many as 100 more local jobs in the next 18 months, and about 30 in a recently opened Chicago office.
Arrive is expected to generate $65 million in revenue this year, according to logistics information firm DAT Solutions.
Generous salaries and commissions help fill sales positions. But the key for startup companies is to be able to retain top workers and keep them from jumping to the competition or even launching their own venture in the same sector.
At Arrive, sales training lasts nine to 12 months, compared to six months or less at some companies.
“During that period of time, they are going to sit next to someone who has been in the industry for years,” Pyatt said.
“They’ll learn how to make cold calls, they’ll learn about pricing, and after nine to 12 months, we give them an opportunity to transition into sales. We want to put time and effort and money into building their careers.”
Arrive also offers matching 401(k) accounts and unlimited vacation time, plus many of the unusual perks that pervade the startup landscape: free lunches on Fridays, a free coffee and caffeine bar, monthly massages and company social events.
