#289: Creating Warehousing and Fulfillment Solutions for E-Commerce Companies with Eric Lobdell, USMA ‘06

Service Academy Business Mastermind

“I talked to a lot of people, and it was really surprising to me – the low levels of service that are prevalent in this industry. And a lot of the way we will win is by simply doing what we say we're going to do… We think we can bring more value, especially for someone who's in the e-commerce space and looking to be multichannel…” –Eric Lobdell

Eric Lobdell is the founder of Thrive 3PL, Lonestar Trade, and Lobdell Capital, companies that offer warehousing, fulfillment, and logistics solutions to help launch and scale e-commerce businesses. Eric turned a career in commercial real estate and a side hustle selling supplements on Amazon into a collection of companies that help their clients focus on growing their businesses and achieving success in the competitive e-commerce market.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The founding of Thrive 3PL, a third-party logistics company offering fulfillment services for e-commerce and other businesses.
• Eric's journey from running an Amazon reselling business to starting a commercial real estate venture and eventually launching Thrive 3PL.
• How Eric's colleague Robert Parr joined the company, transitioning from a career in tech and professional soccer coaching to e-commerce and logistics.
• How Eric’s other companies, Lonestar Trade and Lobdell Capital, fit into the mix.
• The company's vision for growth, including plans for expansion, and navigating the changing e-commerce business landscape that is largely dominated by Amazon.

Eric's journey from Amazon reseller to logistics innovator showcases the power of entrepreneurial adaptation. Eric explains how hurdles he faced in a side hustle selling supplements on Amazon led him to explore commercial real estate and warehousing as a tangible asset. This pivot unexpectedly paved the way for Thrive 3PL, a third-party logistics company born from the intersection of e-commerce expertise and real estate experience. By identifying the underserved needs of small to medium-sized e-commerce businesses, Eric and his team created a solution that combines warehouse management and fulfillment, cutting-edge software, and personalized service to help their customers thrive. Their story reminds us that entrepreneurial success often comes from leveraging past experiences to solve new problems and turning challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth.

Connect with Eric Lobdell:

• LinkedIn
• Thrive 3PL
• Lonestar Trade
• [e-mail]

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Special thanks to Eric and Robert for joining me this week. Until next time!

-Scott Mackes, USNA ’01