Two years ago, several local employers asked Lake Michigan College officials if they could help train students in the basics of logistics.

Those companies, LMC executive Dean Barbara Craig said, wanted to hire new employees that could hit the ground running.

The college’s solution was to create a logistics program that would give students a background in domestic transportation, warehousing inventory control and purchasing, along with knowledge of logistics technologies and regulatory requirements.

“Logistics has a place in every single one of our career areas,” said Craig. “It fits very nicely in business, it has a place in industry and agriculture.”

Logistics, defined, is the management of the flow of goods, information and other resources between the point of origin and point of consumption. LMC’s Bertrand Crossing Campus in Niles is offering a 30-hour Certificate of Achievement in Logistics program.

The college developed the program with the guidance of several area logistics companies, including Express-1, Whirlpool Corp., Hanson Logistics, Bounce Logistics and Towne Air Freight. LMC piloted the introductory logistics course in 2010 but has since expanded the program to include five courses.

Dick Ward, adjunct logistics instructor, said the program is perfect for any professional working in a logistics environment that needs more knowledge to advance in their career.

“When you walk into a company, they are going to expect you to hit the ground running, and they are going to expect you to look for ways to reduce cost and improve efficiency in the operation,” Ward said. “The students will have more than a basic understanding of how to do that with this program.”

LMC is offering logistics classes in the spring semester, which begins Jan. 14. Look online at lakemichigancollege.edu for more information on this or other classes.