Jason Conner has a charismatic air about him. He has an innovative spark, and his wheels turn faster than most. He and his team hustles, and they understand the power of going the extra mile.

Jason is the President of Cardinal Delivery, a homegrown 3PL company that relocated to the District in January 2023. 3PL stands for third-party logistics, a system where an organization provides logistics services to companies needing inventory management and distribution. Several companies offer 3PL in Houston, but only some can transload refrigerated groceries, just one of the niche services that helps Cardinal stand out.

“Our goal is to grow Cardinal Delivery into a premier national third-party logistics provider, helping businesses grow by offering them turn-key freight, warehousing and local delivery solutions.”

Jason Conner

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North Houston Niche

“Cardinal is one of the premier perishable good delivery solutions in Houston,” said Conner. “We have trucks back in almost daily with frozen goods that go directly into one of our refrigerated box trucks, and we deliver the final mile.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Jason and his team are building a “Boutique 3PL” concept to partner with businesses needing nationwide freight services, seamless warehouse storage, distribution, fulfillment, and final mile solutions. Cardinal customers use online tools to track warehouse inventory and choose the cargo they need to release. Then, they get notifications when the shipment goes out, with pictures of how it was packed and strapped. Conner said their customized software system offers a service traditionally reserved for 3PL giants.

“We are small enough to offer single points of contact and large enough to offer modern technology that businesses want,” he said. “We’re not reinventing the wheel. We’re offering a better customer experience.”

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HOW IT STARTED

In late 2018, Conner worked in food service sales for a national distributor and regularly needed a refrigerated hot shot for client catering operations. He sourced local businesses when he could, but contract trucks were often too busy to help him. So, he started planning a side business to fill the void.

On a good friend’s recommendation, Conner searched for an existing company to buy and found a local business on the market. Next thing you know, Jason and his friend partnered to purchase a refrigerated hotshot company called Per the Mile and grew it by 300 percent in 14 months. Jason quit his day job, and then less than three months later, COVID lockdowns pumped the brakes on their progress.

“The pandemic hit us hard,” said Conner. “We were doing less than 20 weekly deliveries at one point and had to pivot. My partner recommended we acquire another courier company during the downturn, and we found a large, local, 28-year-old business called Cardinal Delivery for sale in Houston.”

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HOW IT’S GOING

In January 2022, the dynamic duo merged Per The Mile into Cardinal Delivery and began operating out of Cardinal’s 9600-square-foot facility in Houston Heights. They updated the dispatch and warehouse software, fine-tuned internet marketing, and launched Cardinal Freight the following year.

In January of 2023, their realtor found 101 Esplanade Boulevard, a 41,000-square-foot warehouse with twice the office space as their previous facility.

“The proximity to Bush Airport, plus access to major freeways, made this a great opportunity,” he said. “Our location will always give us a strategic edge because of the quick access to 45 North. With 10 bays, we can comfortably handle most transportation services our clients need to scale their businesses.”

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WHAT’S NEXT

In 2024, Cardinal Delivery is growing vertically and deepening partnerships. In their warehouse operations, they have the capacity for 15,000 pallets and have 11,000 occupied with managed inventory. Additional high piles are planned for this year.

In the long term, they’d like to add another facility closer to the port to expand cargo operations and on-site refrigerated storage. They have a strategic partnership with a nearby Houston-based, family-owned frozen food storage provider for now.

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More Info

Cardinal Delivery offers a trifecta of hot shot final mile, warehouse, and freight services with extraordinary customer experience, modern digital tools, and niche expertise in refrigerated perishable goods. They chose the North Houston District for location, opportunity, and access.

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