The R&S Story: Two Decades of Customer-First Growth

Rooted in Service and Stewardship, R&S Logistics Moves Supply Chains Forward

Founded in 2001 when entrepreneur and real estate developer David Schmid purchased a 20,000-square-foot warehouse on the outskirts of Knoxville, Tennessee, R&S Logistics has grown from a modest operation into a 24/7 logistics provider with 14 locations, more than two million square feet of warehouse space, and a dedicated team of 50 employees.

Guided by the vision of its founder and the leadership of president and COO Joe Michalik, R&S has built its reputation on stewardship, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to customer needs.

Today, the company is recognized as a premier logistics solutions provider, offering clients the ability to reach more than 80% of their customers in the continental United States within two days.

This is our story.

How R&S Logistics Got Its Start in Knoxville, Tennessee

It was really a backdoor beginning. David Schmid did not set out to launch a logistics company. Like any businessman with an eye for opportunity, he bought the company’s first space in Loudon, Tennessee, to lease to a single tenant. Before long, that tenant came to him for help with their logistics services.

“I went back to the office and figured out how we could do it,” Schmid says. “That was kind of a backdoor introduction—we were invited into the service side of logistics that complemented our warehousing.”

Trial by Fire

One of R&S’s first major clients was a large manufacturer with rail service needs. They needed the company to feed raw material into their supply line, a mission-critical task for the plant’s operation. But their projections were off by about 300%.

At the time, Schmid had imagined R&S as an 8-to-5, Monday through Friday operation. With limited trucks and trailers, the small team rallied together, never allowing the customer’s production line to run out of material, keeping 200 employees from losing their paychecks.

“It was really challenging,” Schmid says. “But that effort propelled us forward. We got a good reputation quickly, and they asked us to do more.”

A Partnership Philosophy

From there forward, Schmid was determined that R&S would stand for more than trucks, trailers, and warehouse space.

“We would not just be a service provider but a partner,” he says.

“The cornerstone of our company is stewardship. God owns it; we’ve been called to take care of what has been entrusted to us. We’ve incorporated that into the foundational philosophy of our company. We operate with integrity and treat our customers with respect and fairness. But beyond service, we seek to exceed their expectations as a long-term partner.”

Passing the Baton

By 2011, R&S had added warehouse space, launched a brokerage division and asset-based trucking, and expanded into food, nutraceutical, over-the-counter supplement, automotive, chemical, and biomass industries. As R&S grew its footprint beyond Tennessee, Schmid recognized that sustaining growth would require a different kind of leadership than what he brought as a serial entrepreneur.

“I had the vision and seized the opportunity, but other people could take it further than I ever imagined,” Schmid says.

So he turned to someone he already knew he could trust: Joe Michalik.

A Knoxville native and University of Tennessee business program alum, Michalik was working out of state at the time. Schmid convinced him that R&S needed his mix of discipline, strategic vision, and local roots to carry the company forward into a new chapter of its history.

Scaling Up Without Losing the DNA

For Michalik, it wasn’t just a career move; it was a homecoming. The company was still small, with approximately 120,000 square feet of warehouse space and six employees.

“What stood out to me is that we were willing to try new ideas,” he says. “It seemed like the sky was the limit.”

Over the next 15 years, R&S expanded into 14 locations, occupying more than 2 million square feet of space and supported by 50 employees. Yet through all the growth, Michalik has held tightly to the culture of humility that Schmid built.

“You’re never above any job here,” Michalik says. “I still offload trucks, pick an order, or clean a warehouse once a week. If someone asks you to do something, you do it with a good attitude.”

At R&S, failures aren’t punished. They’re treated as learning opportunities. That spirit of risk-taking and trust has given the company the agility to reinvent itself, including overhauling its warehouse management system four times to keep pace with customer needs.

Putting Customer-First to Action

For Michalik and his team, the R&S difference isn’t just measured in square footage or truck counts. It’s in how the company shows up for its customers when it matters most.

“We’ll bring folks in at midnight on Christmas Eve to keep a customer’s plant running,” he says. “That’s just what we do.”

When mistakes happen, R&S responds with transparency and accountability. Even if it’s money out of the company’s pocket, they will sacrifice to keep the customer’s supply chain intact. Michalik recalls an incident where the team damaged a drum of chemicals. They didn’t just admit fault. They reimbursed the customer for the value of the drum and paid for expedited shipping so the end customer wouldn’t be impacted.

“We reimbursed the customer for the value of the drum and paid for expedited shipping so the end customer wouldn’t be impacted,” Michalik says. “They told us no logistics company had ever done that for them before.”

Those moments build the kind of trust that keeps production lines moving and clients coming back year after year.

Building Leaders from Within

Just as important as customers are the people who serve them. Employees at R&S are self-starters who see themselves as more than order-pickers or forklift drivers. No one is overlooked for an opportunity. And that philosophy has shaped careers. Garrett Dykstra, who began in operations, now leads onboarding and insurance. Aaron Powell, who once picked orders in the warehouse, has grown into finance, effectively serving as CFO.

More than promotions, these stories are proof that R&S invests in its people, developing leaders who carry forward the same culture of stewardship and accountability that Schmid began in 2001.

Why Knoxville Gives R&S Customers An Advantage

Beyond being a source of local pride, R&S’s home base offers clients a strategic edge. Located at the crossroads of I-40, I-75, and I-81, Knoxville allows R&S to reach approximately 80 percent of the U.S. population within two days. That means faster delivery, fewer delays, and a broader reach for customers’ products.

The region’s climate also minimizes disruptions compared to markets that routinely face blizzards or hurricanes. In fact, R&S has been called on to support FEMA disaster relief, delivering generators and supplies into storm-affected regions—further proof of the company’s reliability even when the stakes are high.

The Future of R&S Logistics

For Michalik, the goal for the company’s future extends beyond growth. It’s about becoming better for the customers who rely on R&S every day. He envisions doubling the company’s footprint over the next 15 years while maintaining the values of stewardship, gratitude, agility, tenacity, and being invested. 

One example of that focus is a partnership with the University of Tennessee. Beginning in Spring 2026, R&S will host supply chain management students inside its facilities for a new course on third-party logistics. The course will give the next generation of supply chain professionals hands-on experience in real distribution centers. Meanwhile, R&S customers will benefit from a company that stays ahead of industry trends.

“At R&S, we’re life-long learners, always trying to improve no matter the environment we’re in,” Michalik says. “The culture is special. Caring goes from the top all the way through the organization. For students to learn that at the beginning of their careers is really important.”

Why Leading Manufacturers Choose R&S Logistics

For clients, R&S offers more than warehouse space and trucking capacity. It offers a true partner: one that shows up when it matters, even when it’s at midnight on Christmas Eve, takes accountability seriously during a supply crisis, and plans for the future strategically and with integrity.

“Our job,” Michalik says, “is to make sure our customers never have to worry about their supply chain.”

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