Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Reinhart.
Brian, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I graduated from the University of Louisville in 2008 with a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering. After a few years in the workforce I decided to go back to school and pursue my MBA, which I graduated with in 2012. I joined Bastian Solutions in 2013 as a Logistics Consultant with the software division in Louisville, Kentucky and after 3 years in that role I was approached with the opportunity to move to Dallas to manage the company’s expansion into the SW US. Bastian Solutions is the 3rd largest material handling systems integrator in the United States, and our growth into the booming DFW market was an absolute must. The new office in Farmers Branch is responsible for Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Arkansas. My wife and I moved to Dallas last September to take on this new and exciting challenge.
Bastian Texas and Bastian Mobile Robotics (an R&D division we share an office with) have seen exponential growth in the past year. The office now houses 25 employees with a wide range of engineering specialties, and year over year revenues have increased 500%. I get to work with an amazing team of super talented and brilliant individuals daily that are just as driven as I am to help Bastian succeed in this new market.
Regarding the future – the sky really is the limit. As the business continues to grow our need for bright and talented individuals will only increase, and we’re very excited to be a staple for the community and city of Dallas for years to come.
Has it been a smooth road?
Professionally, the most difficult challenge has been attempting to penetrate the DFW market which already has so many established competitors. DFW is a distribution and logistics hub so there is plenty of business to go around, but that business breeds competition so we have to be very aggressive and work that much harder to ensure we’re positioning our company to be in the best spot possible. Luckily for us, we have the support of Bastian HQ (located in Indianapolis, IN) and Toyota Advanced Logistics (parent company). Being able to rely upon 60+ years of sustained success for the company has allowed us to ensure we’re providing our customers with world class solutions and products.
Personally, leaving Kentucky was a very difficult decision. Both my wife and I were born and raised in Kentucky. We met in Louisville, were married there, and lived there for most of our lives. To say we had deep roots would be an understatement. We had always said we’d never leave Louisville, but the prospect of growing a company I cared so much about was something that we couldn’t pass up. Brittany accepted a position as the Trauma Research Coordinator at Methodist Dallas Medical Center and could not have been more supportive throughout the process. We’ve since bought a house in Bluffview, made some terrific friends, and really discovered everything Dallas has to offer. We will always miss Kentucky, but Dallas has done a terrific job of making us feel at home.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Bastian Solutions – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
As the Regional Manager for the Bastian Solution Texas division, my team and I are responsible for helping our customers achieve their goals in manufacturing, distribution, warehouse management, and logistics. As an industrial automation solutions provider, Bastian Solutions is dedicated to providing our customers with best in class material handling solutions. We are located in the DFW Metroplex in Northwest Dallas.
Bastian Solutions is a rapidly growing company within the industrial automation industry; currently the 3rd largest material handling systems provider in the United States. Bastian Solutions ranks in the top 20 globally within its industry, and has year over year growth percentages ranking in the top 5 globally. As a provider of “anything within the four walls of a warehouse,” we specialize in: storage racking, conveyor systems, advanced conveyor and sortation systems, robotics, warehouse control (WCS), execution (WES), and management (WMS) software systems, controls, ASRS, Goods-to-Person, mobile picking solutions, custom fabrication, engineering consulting and much more.
Now that the sales pitch for the company is done, what I really think sets us apart is our people. Being a family owned and operated company for 60+ years really instilled a sense of ownership and responsibility within our teams. We’ve adopted modern business and workplace practices to ensure that all employees are not only comfortable in their jobs, but enjoy coming to work on a daily basis. Everyone in the office has an open door policy and we really try our best to operate as a team where everyone’s opinion is valued and considered.
What allows us to really stand out in the industry though, is the fact that we can provide any and all solutions or equipment that our customers need. Many of our competitors specialize in one area or another which causes end users to manage multiple vendors and multiple contracts which wastes time and capital. With Bastian, there is no project too large or too small, and you only need to make one phone call to upgrade, modernize, and turn your facility into a world class operation.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The first thing that stood out to us was the food scene. Dallas has an amazing food scene with so many talented chefs owning cool and unique restaurants. I do think it’s a bit crazy that we can’t get white queso anywhere, but that’s a fight for another day.
The social scene is also awesome. Whether it’s bars, restaurants, breweries, parks, etc. there are always a ton of people out in the city. Everyone is super approachable and easy to make friends with too. I think that’s because so many people in the city are transplants like us, which results in us all being eager to make friends. Having an NBA team is also super cool. I’m a huge basketball fan and always wanted to live in a city with an NBA team so we’re pretty excited about the Mavs.
Least favorite thing about the city would probably be the traffic. While it’s not as bad as other cities the size of Dallas, it can be a pain. Just have to make sure I’m fully stocked on good podcasts at all times.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1801 Royal Lane, Suite 1006, Building 10
- Website: bastiansolutions.com
- Phone: 8597502673
- Email: breinhart@bastiansolutions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bastian_solutions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bastiansolutions/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BastianSolution
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