On-demand local delivery isn’t just for burgers or beer. Matt Lafferty turned a remodeling project a-ha! moment into Curri, a nationwide all-in-one logistics platform best described as the Uber of construction supplies. Jason chats with Curri’s energetic co-founder and CEO about the company’s serendipitous start, impressive growth, and cost-effective delivery solutions for building materials distributors.
I’m very interested in making people more profitable, making their businesses more successful, making them more efficient, says Matt reflecting on the remodeling project that set Curri into motion. The plumber on that job wasted an enormous amount of time running around, picking up materials from various suppliers–literally killing his ability to boost income because back in 2018, there wasn’t yet a practical way to get all the necessary supplies delivered to a job site.
The observation led Matt and a buddy to build Curri, a network of on-demand delivery drivers with appropriate vehicles (think: lift gates, flatbeds, bobtails) that could pick up and deliver materials wherever, whenever needed. Today, Curri operates in 49 states, making a delivery every 10 seconds. And each shipment comes with the same tech-driven features that the biggest names in e-commerce rely on, like live tracking and digital proof of delivery.
Matt’s vision has proven so effective that many distributors have replaced in-house delivery fleets with Curri’s on-demand platform, saving hefty operating costs. We have a lot of distributors that are literally selling off their trucks and just using Curri because they’re making more sales. They’re not taking on the risk and the insurance for moving supplies and materials, confirms Matt.
While Matt built Curri’s solutions with the distributor top of mind, he also takes great pride in supporting those on the driver side. There’s a rigorous compliance element there for the type of vehicle that they’re driving, Matt says, adding that Curri offers excellent insurance and strategies for individual success. They’re prepared to exceed expectations from the get-go.
Curri helps wholesale distributors leverage gig-age technology on their terms. I don’t want people to get construction supplies from Amazon. I want the distributor to be extremely competitive and do what they do best, make the sale, keep that sales relationship with their customer, and then we’ll deliver that product for you.
QUOTES
If you think you can’t improve something, then you’re, you’re dying on the vine essentially. You wanna be able to grow; you wanna be dynamic.
The way that my co-founder and I have approached this business is to observe and build what people want and need versus building something first and saying it’s a great idea, and then people will buy it.
Curri is, essentially, a sales amplification tool for the distributor. It’s not just a sales enablement tool; we amplify their sales, and at the same time, we reduce a ton of their costs.
There’s no need to have idle trucks on the lot anymore.
Just make the sale. We’ll handle the movement of those supplies and materials. Just make the sale.
You do what you do best, and we’ll do what we do best–and we’ll pass on those efficiencies and savings to you.
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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.
This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.
https://www.distributionteam.com
Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: Connected Peers, connecting key employees in distribution’s leading organizations.