An interview with Felecia Thompson, Coreviz Product Manager

March is National Women’s History Month! In celebration, we sat down to explore the career of Felecia Thompson, the Product Manager of Coreviz. Felecia has had a multi-faceted career and encourages women to find their place in logistics. Here’s what she had to say about her work and why the logistics industry is a great place for women.

How did you get your start in logistics?

I started in the industry as the front desk receptionist for Arnold Transportation Services, Inc., when I was 19. At the time, my goal was to free up my weekends, afford my apartment, and attend school. I knew nothing about transportation but quickly learned how important it is! I enjoyed the culture of the company, and everyone I met at Arnold was super nice and friendly. Arnold had a true family environment. I began to make friends in other departments, and hearing their “war” stories was hilarious and stressful but also fascinating. I began asking my friends for ways I could help them and fill my time in between calls and guests. I started to take on project work and may have been hooked from then on because I realized I wanted to do more. Over the next nine years, if there was a job opening within the organization, I applied. I held roles within various departments and learned as much as I could about the domestic trucking industry. I also made wonderful lifelong connections.

How did you join AV Logistics?

Arnold went through a buyout, and in 2010, I was sad to learn my department was transitioning out of state. I traveled to Tennessee to meet the team and get a feel for the organization. While the company was great, it didn’t feel like my other office, and I didn’t want to let that “family” feeling go.  I returned to Jacksonville feeling confused.

A couple of friends who knew me from our times together at Arnold had joined the AV team. When the company had an opening, they threw my name in the hat. The next day I met Mike Bifulco at the AV office after hours. A few employees were wrapping up their day, and they gave me an amazing welcome with friendly smiles and kind words. I spent the next hour talking with Mike about AV and the vision created by the founder Art Zimmerly. Wow! AV Logistics gave me the “family” feel I wanted! I returned to work the next day, thinking about the interview and how good it felt.

By the end of the week, I had received my offer letter from AV Logistics and declined the offer to transfer. In September 2010, I joined the AV Logistics family as a logistics coordinator managing import shipments for The Home Depot.

What was your role with Coreviz?

AV collects a lot of data! After years in operations and analytics, I recognized we could do more with it. But the question was, how could we present this data as actionable insight for the customer? In 2019 I spent time in one of our truck terminals and saw an online platform they used to manage container pools and yards. I was impressed and wondered if AV could build onto the platform and create a complete visibility solution. I returned to Jacksonville and presented a few ideas to Mike, and we talked for a while about the possibilities. The idea for an online solution was born!

We spent time with the platform’s development team and discussed the vision for the AV Logistics tool. A few weeks later, I received an email inviting me to a demo of the visibility platform. The team at Intermodal Data Hub took our ideas and turned them into a working model. To say they wowed us is an understatement.

In February 2020, AV Logistics began using a beta version of the tool with a few select customers to gain their feedback and insight. By the end of 2020, AV Logistics knew they had a winner and acquired the platform from Intermodal Data Hub. In 2021, we established a different focus group to bring valued AV Logistics processes into production. and named our platform Coreviz. Today, I function within the tech division of AV Logistics and work on all Coreviz-related initiatives.

Do you think there are enough women in logistics?

Even in the earliest days of my career, I’ve seen many women in departments such as planning, dispatch, human resources, safety, and customer service. At AV Logistics, 58% of our staff is women.

Is AV Logistics a good place for women?

Absolutely! We are growing. More opportunities will open up as we develop partnerships with new clients and service providers. The workplace has a family environment, making it an attractive place to work. The women at AV Logistics make our mark throughout the company, so any woman who joins us will feel right at home and can build a great career at AV Logistics.

If you would like to learn more about careers at AV Logistics, visit our career page.