LLamasoft

Not to be confused with England-based company Llamasoft, founded by Jeff Minter, the independent British video game designer and programmer.
LLamasoft, Inc.
Privately held company
Industry Software development
Founded Ann Arbor, Michigan (1998)
Founder Donald Hicks
Toby Brzoznowski[1]
Headquarters Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
Number of locations
 5[2]
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Donald Hicks (President, CEO)
Toby Brzoznowski (EVP)
Revenue Increase US$24 million (2013)[3]
Number of employees
 150[4]
Website llamasoft.com

LLamasoft, Inc. is a software company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company develops and markets software and services to model supply chain networks for potential service and cost benefits. Founded in 1998 by Donald Hicks and Toby Brzoznowski, the company employs 150 people and has international support offices in Europe, China and South America.[5] LLamasoft's clients include Fortune 500 companies and household names such as Ford Motor Company, Kellogg’s, and Target Corporation.[4]

History

LLamasoft was founded in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1998 by Donald Hicks and Toby Brzoznowski.

In April 2013, the company announced a deal signing with Mengniu Dairy, one of China’s leading dairy producers. According to the contract, Mengniu Dairy will use Llamasoft’s Supply Chain Guru product to manage its 20 production plants located throughout China. Rabobank ranked Mengniu Dairy as the 18th largest dairy producer in the world. All terms of the deal were not disclosed.[6]

In June, 2014, Schneider Electric, a European multinational corporation that specializes in electricity distribution, automation management and produces installation components for energy management, announced the selection of LLamasoft's Supply Chain Guru as the standard application for its supply chain design.[7] In July of the same year, Unilever, an Anglo–Dutch multinational consumer goods company co-headquartered in London, England and Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Ryder, an American-based provider of transportation and supply chain management products, began utilizing LLamasoft's network design software in their production plants.[8][9]

Products

LLamasoft is a provider of supply chain design and simulation software, which enables companies to design a low cost supply chain to ensure demands are satisfied at a particular service level. Simulating the network operation using current demands enables a company to quantify how changes to existing supply chain policies will impact service and costs.[10] The company’s main product is Supply Chain Guru, a Windows-based application, released commercially in 2003. LLamasoft subsequently introduced Transportation Guru, a transport network design software, Data Guru, for data workflows, and Supply Chain Sherpa, a tablet supply chain design application.[11]

Partnerships

Nike, Inc., which has been a partner with LLamasoft since 2010, has a minority stake in the company acquired in October 2012. However, terms of Nike's minority investment weren't disclosed.[12] Nike and LLamasoft have also partnered to make international supply chains offering both logistics and environmental benefits.[13][14] Nike's officials stated that the company will use LLamasoft's software platform to create efficiencies across its supply chain and reduce the related carbon footprint.[12] At the same time, MK Capital, a Chicago-based venture capital fund, announced investment of $6.1 million of venture capital funding to LLamasoft Inc. As part of the investment, Josh Beebe, a partner at MK Capital, has joined the LLamasoft board.[15]

Awards and recognitions

In both 2012 and 2013, LLamasoft was ranked as one of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America. The company moved up to being 175th in Deloitte Fast 500's rankings after experiencing 630% growth in revenue between 2008 and 2012.[2]

In December 2013, Northrop Grumman, an American aerospace and defense technology company, awarded LLamasoft for its performance and contribution in support of its socio-economic business program named SEBP. LLamasoft was one of 32 companies in the United States that received the World Class Team Award from Northrop Grumman.[16]

In January 2014, LLamasoft was recognized as "Vendor of the Year" by SCM World at their "Supply Chain 2013: Best of the Best" event held in London.[17] In the same year, the company was named as one of the "Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in Metro Detroit".[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Booth, J. D. (1 October 2014). "Michigan’s Economic Bright Spots and Entrepreneurs of Distinction Show How to Get it Done". Corp! Magazine. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Freed, Ben (17 November 2013). "Software firm LLamasoft lands on Fast 500 tech list with 630% growth". MLive. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  3. ↑ "Inc. 5000 2014: The Fastest-Growing Private U.S. Companies, At a Glance". Inc. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Freed, Ben (24 October 2012). "LLamasoft raises $6 million in venture capital as it expands in downtown Ann Arbor". The Ann Arbor News. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  5. ↑ Bomey, Nathan (1 March 2012). "Downtown Ann Arbor software firm LLamasoft adds 50 employees". The Ann Arbor News. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  6. ↑ Schmid, Sarah (10 April 2013). "Llamasoft Continues Push Into Chinese Market With Mengniu Deal". Xconomy. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  7. ↑ "Schneider Electric Selects LLamasoft Supply Chain Guru" (Press release). Yahoo! News. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  8. ↑ Gilmore, Dan (25 July 2014). "Insights from Unilever's Perfect Logistics Network Exercise". Supply Chain Digest. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  9. ↑ "Ryder Selects LLamasoft Supply Chain Guru" (Press release). Yahoo! News. 22 July 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  10. ↑ Banker, Steve (8 August 2014). "Simulate Your Supply Chain To Compete More Effectively". Forbes. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  11. ↑ "LLamasoft Releases Supply Chain and Transportation Network Design Software". TMCnet. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Siemers, Erik (23 October 2012). "Nike acquires minority stake in supply chain software company". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  13. ↑ Roethenbaugh, Gary (25 October 2012). "Sustainable supply chain focus as Nike partners with LLamasoft". Triathlon Business. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  14. ↑ "Nike, LLamasoft Partner on Environmentally Friendly Supply Chain Software". Environmental Leader. Business Sector Media, LLC. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  15. ↑ "MK Capital invests in LLamasoft". Chicago Business Journal. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  16. ↑ Allen, Jeremy (17 December 2013). "Ann Arbor's Llamasoft Inc. recognized for commitment to Socio-Economic Business Programs". MLive. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  17. ↑ O'Marah, Kevin (20 December 2013). "Supply chain 2013: best of the best". SCM World. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  18. ↑ "Metro Detroit 2014 Winners of 101 Best and Brightest Companies To Work For". 101 Best And Brightest. Retrieved 12 October 2014.

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