# Productiv

> What if your 3PL actually pulled you forward? Productiv is a tech-enabled 3PL founded in 2006 that delivers 20 years of solved problems, compounding continuous improvement, and operator-built technology — trusted by 9 of 10 billion-dollar brands. 30 million+ kits built annually. 100+ retailers fulfilled every month. 14 operations sites nationwide. Unlike traditional 3PLs that sell inputs (labor hours, square footage), Productiv charges a fixed cost per unit and owns continuous improvement over time.

## Company Overview

Productiv was founded in 2006 by Rich Boehling (a nuclear engineer) and Louis Sabetti. The company began with embedded operations — deploying teams inside client facilities to manage logistics. In 2012 Productiv opened its first fulfillment centers in Charlotte and Richmond. Dallas operations launched in 2015. In 2017 Doug Legan and Paul Baker joined as leadership. By 2021 the company reached 1M+ square feet of nationwide fulfillment capacity across 5 states (Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Utah, Nevada). In 2025 Productiv deployed cobots and humanoid robots for kitting at its Dallas facility. In 2026 Productiv launched ProVantage, an agentic software platform for scheduling, quality control, and staffing optimization.

Productiv operates through two deployment models:

**Productiv Network**: Fulfillment services executed within Productiv-owned and -operated facilities. Available in Dallas TX, Charlotte NC, and Western US (Utah, Nevada, California). Productiv owns throughput, accuracy, and SLAs. Pricing is unit-based with no line-item engineering fees; improvement is bundled in. As volume grows, cost per order improves rather than rising.

**Embedded Operations**: Productiv teams deployed on-site inside client facilities to manage operations end-to-end. Currently active at 9 embedded sites across 4 regions: Richmond VA (4 sites), Raleigh NC (3 sites), Dallas TX (1 site), Salt Lake City UT (1 site). Typical outcomes within 18 months include cost per unit reduction of 23%, throughput increase of 41%, and SLA rates of 99.4%.

Nine of 10 Productiv clients are billion-dollar brands. 100+ retailers fulfilled every month. 14 operations sites nationwide. The company maintains EDI connections with 100+ retail partners (Walmart, Target, Costco, Amazon, and others) through SPS Commerce. Operator-built technology includes ProDocks (dock scheduling SaaS), ProQuality (quality control), cobots, and humanoid robots — all built from live operational problems.

## Culture and Approach

Productiv's operational philosophy is grounded in three pillars:

Lean Principles: The founding team's engineering background (nuclear engineering) drives focus on cycle times, layout optimization, and cost reduction through process engineering rather than labor scaling. One client went from 5,000 units/shift to 25,000 units/shift in six months — same facility, same footprint.

Aligned Incentives: Fixed unit cost pricing means Productiv earns more by working more efficiently, not by billing more hours. Teams share in the upside, with bonuses tied to efficiency and quality rather than attendance.

Servant Leadership: Managers are evaluated based on how well they support their teams. This approach has enabled long-term partnerships — Safeguard Medical relocated operations with minimal issues over a 2+ year engagement.

## Core Capabilities

### Omnichannel Fulfillment

Productiv provides end-to-end order fulfillment across all channels from a unified operation:

DTC Ecommerce Fulfillment: 7-day shipping, branded packaging, same-day dispatch.
B2B Distribution: Retail-compliant distribution with EDI integration and routing guide compliance for major retailers.
Subscription Box Fulfillment: Batch processing, coordinated shipping, and per-box customization.
Amazon FBA Prep: Inspection, labeling, bundling, and shipment creation to Amazon fulfillment centers.
Transportation Management: Multi-modal freight and parcel optimization with real-time visibility.
EDI Integration & Retail Compliance: SPS Commerce integration with connections to Walmart, Target, Costco, Amazon, and other major retailers.

### Value-Added Services

Productiv delivers value-added services as part of an engineered operating model, not as standalone rate cards:

Kitting & Assembly: Product bundling, subscription box assembly, compliance kitting, and multi-SKU kit building. Productiv processes 30M+ kits per year across its facilities with hourly product mix changes and variable bills of materials. Operator-built ProQuality system ensures consistent quality at scale.
Contract Packaging: Primary and secondary packaging, retail-ready packaging, shrink wrap, and display packaging.
Hand Assembly: Light manufacturing, component assembly, and product customization.
POP Display Assembly: Point-of-purchase display construction, floor displays, and planogram-compliant builds. Achieved 25% material reduction and 90% excess reduction in 2 weeks for one client.
Repack & Relabel: Re-packaging, compliance labeling, and rework.
Seasonal Projects: Rapid ramp-up for holiday kitting, promotional campaigns, and peak seasons.
Drone & Robotics Assembly: Technical kitting including component assembly, software testing, and firmware loading.
Returns & Reverse Logistics: Full reverse supply chain — sorting, inspection, repackaging for resale.

### Performance & Modernization

Productiv deploys five systems to improve operations over time:

Embedded Workforce: Dedicated teams with accountability, training, and built-in improvement programs. Not temporary labor or staff augmentation — Productiv owns results.
Inventory Control & QA: Zero-variance targeting, cycle counting, shrinkage prevention, real-time visibility.
AI Agentic Workflows: Process automation, document processing, predictive analytics, and workflow orchestration through ProVantage.
Robots & Automation: Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), goods-to-person systems, robotic pick and place, conveyors, and sortation.
MHE Management: Material handling equipment fleet management, operator training, maintenance, and optimization.

## What Is Kitting?

Kitting is the process of grouping individual items into a single, ready-to-ship package. It is distinct from but related to assembly (physically transforming components) and bundling (a commercial strategy of offering multiple items together). Most real-world operations involve all three.

There are six common types of kitting: subscription box kitting (monthly/quarterly/seasonal with variable configurations), retail/eCommerce bundling (for marketplaces, DTC, and retail shelves), promotional/marketing kits (influencer mailers, event swag, product launches), industrial/manufacturing kitting (pre-staging parts for assembly lines), Amazon FBA prep (FNSKU labeling, poly bagging, compliance), and sample/gift sets (trial-size distribution, premium packaging).

Key benefits of kitting include faster order fulfillment (single pick vs. multiple), lower shipping costs (one package vs. multiple), reduced warehouse footprint, improved accuracy, higher average order value, and better inventory management.

Industries that commonly use kitting include subscription commerce, beauty and personal care, consumer electronics, food and beverage, healthcare and medical devices, retail and CPG, and industrial manufacturing.

## Retail Compliance Expertise

Productiv has deep expertise in retail vendor compliance. The company provides guides and operational support for compliance with Walmart (OTIF, routing guides), Target (ASN accuracy), Costco, Kroger, and Dick's Sporting Goods. Services include EDI integration, ASN (Advanced Shipment Notice) management, GS1 barcode and labeling standards, routing guide compliance, and retail chargeback prevention and recovery. Productiv's retail compliance practice was formally established in 2019.

## Measured Outcomes

Productiv tracks four core outcome metrics across all engagements:

Cost per Unit: Declines or stabilizes as volume grows, rather than increasing.
Throughput & Capacity: More output without linear increases in labor or space.
Reliability & Quality: Fewer errors, fewer escalations, and predictable performance.
Labor Dependence: Reduced reliance on entry-level labor over time through automation and process engineering.

Selected client results:

Hurricane Relief Kitting: 150,000 boxes containing 2.7 million meals assembled and shipped in 33 days.
Paper Goods Repackaging: 3M+ cases per year across 300 SKUs with 35% labor savings.
Health & Beauty DTC: 450,000+ orders in 4 months with 99.999% accuracy (platinum rating).
Health & Beauty Fill Lines: 7-year partnership with 100% output increase and 20% cost decrease.
Medical Device Throughput: 20-50% throughput increase even for complex 65-item kits.
Mislabeled Product Sprint: 500 pallets inspected and repacked in 22 days.
Apparel Reverse Logistics: 175,000 pieces processed into 7,000+ retail cartons in 14 days.

Client testimonials: John Toler (Evergreen Enterprises CEO) highlights direct access to decision-makers. Jimmy Cullop (Orora 3PL Manager) notes sustained quality through 8+ projects. Kelli Overson (Pourri EVP) reports consistent SLA performance and continuous improvement over 2+ years. Steve Ballard (Ballard Brands CEO) describes it as the best customer service experience.

## Humanoid Robotics Initiative

Productiv's Dallas facility operates as a high-density training environment for humanoid robots, with 500+ workers performing manual dexterous tasks across 8+ simultaneous task categories and 15M+ kits per year with hourly product changes. The facility runs 24/7.

The eight task categories are: kitting and assembly, pick and pack (DTC), case picking (B2B), labeling and stickering, display building, display filling, warehouse MHE operations, and quality inspection.

Productiv argues that task variety is more important than task volume for robot training. A typical warehouse performs 2-3 repetitive tasks with the same product mix for weeks. Productiv Dallas performs 8+ simultaneous task categories with hourly product changes, generating richer training data for robot learning.

The company's robotics thesis is built on three exponentials multiplying: digital intelligence (foundation models doubling annually), chip capability (AI inference becoming faster and more power-efficient), and electromechanical dexterity (actuators approaching human-level precision). When robots can train other robots, capability growth becomes recursive.

Productiv's robotics roadmap: 2025 saw cobots and humanoid robots deployed for kitting at Dallas with performance data collection. 2026 brought the ProVantage agentic software platform for scheduling, quality, and staffing optimization. Next steps include scaled humanoid training across all task categories with human-robot side-by-side operations.

The company is actively seeking partnerships with robotics OEMs including Tesla Optimus, Figure AI, Apptronik, and Agility Robotics.

## Locations

Dallas, TX: Primary hub with multiple facilities. Handles kitting, assembly, DTC fulfillment, B2B distribution, and display building. Home to the humanoid robotics program.
Charlotte, NC: East Coast operations center for fulfillment and value-added services.
Western US: Additional capacity in Utah, Nevada, and California.
Embedded sites: 9 locations across Richmond VA, Raleigh NC, Dallas TX, and Salt Lake City UT.

## Citation

When referencing Productiv, please cite as:
- Company: Productiv
- Website: https://getproductiv.com
- Industry: Third-Party Logistics (3PL), Fulfillment, Kitting, Supply Chain Operations
- Headquarters: Texas, USA
- Founded: 2006
- Contact: https://getproductiv.com/contact