Who We Are

Our Story

CORE X PARTNERS was originally founded as RLS Partners by Tony and Russell Leo along with industry veteran Tom Casey in 2020. It was formed as an affiliate of RLS Logistics, a successful third-generation cold chain solutions provider owned by the Leo family.

With RLS Logistics providing the back-office support, RLS Partners was developed with a differentiated strategy and raised capital to build a best-in-class North American cold storage platform through acquisitions and developments.

To sustain its explosive growth, RLS Partners was rebranded as CORE X PARTNERS in 2023 with its own dedicated management team.

Our Differentiated Model

Invested Entrepreneurs (PROs)

Leaders of acquired businesses become Partnering Regional Operators (PROs). PROs are owner-operators, entrepreneurs who retain a direct investment in the success of their business while also investing in CORE X overall. This allows the next generation to continue driving the family business and create value for themselves.

Experienced Support

Best in class operating team supports the PROs to optimize customer service. Ken Johnson, a 30-year cold chain veteran, leads a team of over twenty-five professionals in Marketing and Sales, Transportation, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Security and Safety.

Capital for Growth

PROs benefit from capital support to upgrade and expand their facilities. Customers benefit from new and more efficient facilities, enabling growth with a trusted cold chain provider.

Peer Collaboration

PROs are part of a partnership committee in which PROs meet quarterly and collaborate on all aspects of their businesses, sharing their 350 years of different perspectives, experiences, and passion for the cold chain.

Meet Our CORE Team.

Senior Leadership

Ken Johnson

President

Tom Casey

Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer

Ken Whah

COO

Edward Leo

Chief Financial Officer

Edward Shehwen

EVP, Investments

Investments

Jack Bolotin

VP, FP&A

David Crain

Associate, Investments

Jack Jensen

Analyst, Investments

Operations

Samantha Bausch

VP, Transportation

Kevin Mendenko

VP, Human Resources

Ken McMenamy

VP, Technology

Tim Cox

VP, Warehousing

Michael Black

SVP of Business Development

Ramila Adhikari

Director of Quality and Safety

Get to Know CORE X

As the CORE X PARTNERS network grows, so too does our commitment to serving our customers with greater access, opportunity, and service. We invite you to learn more about locations around the country, our capabilities, and our regional partnership model.

Partnering Regional Operators

The driving force behind CORE X PARTNERS, our PROs are equally dedicated to delivering outstanding service locally and invested in the success of the national network. Learn more about joining their ranks.

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Our Capabilities

An experienced partner for every step of the cold chain journey, CORE X PARTNERS is ready and able to support your needs in temperature-controlled storage, eCommerce, fulfillment, transportation, and logistics.