How SalesFlex Built a 40-Client 3PL on ShipStation

From shipping software to operational backbone

When Kyle Zehring launched SalesFlex Fulfillment in Memphis, Tennessee, he didn’t just adopt ShipStation as a shipping tool—he built his entire 3PL operation around it. Five years and more than 40 clients later, the company runs seven workstations powered by ShipStation across its facility and credits the platform as foundational to everything SalesFlex does.

SalesFlex is more than a traditional fulfillment provider. Based in Memphis—a strategic logistics hub near all major carrier networks—the company offers a full suite of services: ecommerce and B2B fulfillment, cold chain logistics, global sourcing, returns management through the ReturnsEase® program, and kitting services. The mission is simple: make logistics an easy experience for clients by functioning as an extension of their business.

When Zehring founded the company, he knew from previous experience that ShipStation could handle more than just label creation. He saw an opportunity to leverage the platform’s full capabilities to power warehouse operations for multiple ecommerce clients.

“We built our company on ShipStation,” Zehring said. “We use the functionality of not just label creation, but inventory management, helping our customers grow.”

That decision shaped everything that followed.

When a shipping platform becomes essential infrastructure

SalesFlex needed to offer comprehensive warehousing services to clients without the complexity and expense of enterprise-level warehouse management systems. ShipStation provided the foundation.

“When we launched SalesFlex, we needed the ability to offer all of the warehousing services to our clients,” Zehring explained. “ShipStation provided an opportunity for us to utilize the functionality to provide services for our customers—not only shipping packages, but helping us operate our business and understanding all the warehouse applications and things that customers need in their day-to-day business.”

The platform now powers every aspect of SalesFlex’s fulfillment operations. The team handles batch picking, kitting, order mixing, and both direct-to-consumer and retail fulfillment—all through ShipStation’s interface.

Scaling a 3PL without scaling complexity

Five years into the partnership, SalesFlex operates seven ShipStation workstations throughout the facility, serving more than 40 clients with diverse fulfillment needs. The platform’s flexibility allows the team to handle everything from straightforward ecommerce orders to complex retail distribution requirements.

“We do a lot of batch picking, we do a lot of kitting, and we do a lot of mixing of orders for customers,” Zehring said. “If a customer has retail business, how do we effectively help them ship packages not only to a direct customer, but how do we help them in a retail environment? Our staff works with ShipStation’s products to be able to afford that piece of the business.”

For a 3PL serving clients across multiple industries—from refrigerated products to consumer goods—having a single platform that adapts to varied requirements has been critical. The SalesFlex story shows what ShipStation for 3PL operations can look like when you lean into the platform fully. Rather than juggling multiple systems or paying for enterprise software bloated with features they’d never touch, SalesFlex found everything they actually needed in ShipStation’s core functionality.

A competitive advantage others can’t easily match

When asked what he’d tell other businesses considering ShipStation, Zehring pointed to the combination of features and value that competitors struggle to replicate.

“When you look at the platform for shipping packages, ShipStation affords a lot of different use cases at a very affordable level,” he said. “If you were to go out and look at a competitive environment and try to match all the different services, it would be difficult to do.”

The platform’s ease of use and rapid onboarding have also proven essential for a growing operation that needs to bring new clients and team members up to speed quickly with dedicated one-on-one support.

Asked to sum up ShipStation’s value, Zehring kept it simple: “It’s easy to use, quick to get set up and running, and gives you most all the functions you need to operate your business.”

Ready to build your business on ShipStation? See why 3PLs choose ShipStation for multi-client fulfillment. Start your free trial today.