The Erie Time-News published an article entitled “Logistics Plus in Erie brings casual approach to corporate success” in today’s paper (and online at goerie.com). It’s a nice little article with some great photographs – and we appreciate the time their staff writer spent interviewing our team, and the “inside look” he shared regarding our company’s culture.
The piece is nicely written, but I fear the forest may have been lost for the trees in the translation. While the article talks about our many non-standard practices, e.g., extremely casual attire, lack of budgets and plans, goofy personality of our CEO, etc., it doesn’t fully connect the dots as to how and why this has all been so successful. Great “managers” have budgets and plans; however, great “leaders” are beyond these standard business tools. Mr. Berlin is one such individual. Yes, he wears a t-shirt, tennis shoes, and jeans; tells funny stories; and hasn’t read our policy manual in over 10 years – but what he does do each and every day is show emotion, compassion and support for his employees and his business. A day hasn’t gone by where Jim hasn’t preached that “Logistics Plus is the company that gives a sh*t” and that we need to show our customers that is truly the case at all times. So while our company culture may seem casual and different, it has fostered an employee base that began as 3 and is now over 350, and one that has real passion for serving its customers, growing the business, and achieving success (over $120M worth of success, mind you, mostly through business referrals and customer testimonials, and as Jim often says of our employees “finding a way to YES!”).
It is true our employees enjoy the onsite fitness center, corporate trainer and free meals; but when they’re back at their desks they are working hard – often beyond normal business hours – to support the business. They know they are fully empowered to “do what’s right” for our customers and the business, and to think out-of-the-box to get the job done. And what’s great is that they also know if they make a mistake, they’ll simply get a hug from the CEO and pat on the back (and, of course, told “now, don’t do that again, right?”). I’ve been around a lot of big companies, and you won’t find that approach in too many company policy manuals, nor will you find many companies that will go the extra mile every day for their customers like Logistics Plus does.
Yesterday we reported how many Logistics Plus employees participated in this past Saturday’s Erie County Heart Walk event. Not to be forgotten is the annual Logistics Plus sponsorship of the Barber Beast on the Bay event which also took place this past Saturday (September 12, 2015). In addition to the company sponsorship, many Logistics Plus employees participated in this challenging event, including Alfredo Ayala, Jessica Skitka, and Judy Rowe. In fact, Judy’s son Adam Rowe finished fourth overall in the event.
Barber Beast on the Bay is a fundraising event to help support the Barber National Institute and its work with children and adults with disabilities. Spectators were encouraged to cheer participants along the courses and to join in the post-event party at Waldameer Picnic Groves. The main events include a grueling 10-mile extreme obstacle course challenge at Presque Isle State Park and a 1.2 mile adapted course for participants with physical or developmental disabilities. Not only does the Barber Beast on the Bay event raise awareness for a great cause, but it also brings the community together for a fun experience. Although the 2015 event was another success, final figures haven’t yet been reported. Last year the event raised $63,194 for the Institute, with proceeds benefiting more than 4,200 children and adults with disabilities.
The slideshow below contains a few photographs taken by LP employees at the event. Thank you again for supporting the community!
This past Saturday, Logistics Plus employees participated in the American Heart Association’s Erie County Heart Walk – one of 263 AHA Heart Walk events around the country. Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus, was the chairperson for the 2015 community event which raised over $100,000 to help save lives from this country’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers – heart disease and stroke. In addition to large contributions from Logistics Plus and other area companies, a 58-member Logistics Plus employee team raised a sizable amount of funds through local donations and support – many of whom also participated in the annual walk on Saturday (despite some chilly weather conditions).
The Erie County Heart Walk is designed to promote physical activity, heart-healthy living, and an environment that’s fun and rewarding for the entire family. Jim kicked off the event by sharing some informational and inspirational comments. Next, Alex Wagner, corporate fitness trainer for Logistics Plus, led the group in some muscle stretching exercises. When it was time to walk, Jim asked the ‘Shoup family’ (including two-year heart survivor, Tanner Shoup) to do the honor of leading the walk. You can watch the short video below which includes Jim’s opening talk and additional photographs from the event. Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated, and/or participated in this year’s event!
With this being National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (NTDAW), Logistics Plus would like to formally recognize and thank the 3.4 million professional men and women who deliver our goods safely, securely and on time, while working hard to keep our highways safe. Not only do we employee professional truck drivers directly through our NTL (National Truckload) division, and indirectly through our North American LTL and truckload brokerage solutions division – but our founder and CEO, Jim Berlin, originally got his start in the industry as a professional truck driver in the northeastern United States (see the bottom of our company overview page for more on Jim’s background).
The American Trucking Assocation (ATA) began celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week in 1988 in an effort to honor those hard working men and women who deliver life’s essentials every day. Watch the ATA video below and then learn more at www.trucking.org
On August 29, the Erie SeaWolves hosted an interactive experience called “Tiger Tales” with two of the greatest players in Detroit Tigers history – Lance Parrish and Alan Trammell. Lance and Alan led the Tigers to a World Championship in 1984 and combined to earn 14 career All-Star Game selections, seven Rawlings Gold Gloves, and nine Silver Slugger Awards. The Erie SeaWolves, meanwhile, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They play in the Eastern League as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and were recently purchased by Fernando Aguirre.
Logistics Plus (LP), a local sponsor for the Erie SeaWolves, was able to include the son of LP employee Kristen Rzodkiewicz in the Tiger Tales experience. Kristen’s son Jacob is a huge baseball fan and player. He plays for the local Harborcreek Little League and also a Harborcreek travel team. As part of the Tiger Tales experience, Jacob enjoyed the following activities (as shown in the slideshow to the right):
A behind-the-scenes visit to the SeaWolves clubhouse hosted by Lance and Alan.
Listened as Alan and Lance shared rarely told stories of life in the Major Leagues and answered questions from moderator and SeaWolves owner Fernando Aguirre.
Was able to ask Alan and Lance his own questions about baseball lore and their careers.
Took live batting practice swings on the field at Jerry Uht Park.
Snapped photos and received autographs with Alan and Lance.
Participated in (and won!) a raffle to throw a ceremonial first pitch at the game.
What an awesome way to spend the day for a baseball fan of any age. Thank you Mr. Aguirre, Lance and Alan for allowing “one of our own” to experience such a special day!
Logistics Plus (LP) was contacted recently by the Great American Stations Project to prepare a case study on how Erie Union Station was converted for commercial use. Amtrak® established the Great American Stations Project in 2006 to educate communities on the benefits of redeveloping train stations, offer tools to community leaders to preserve their stations, and provide the appropriate Amtrak resources. The case study documents Logistics Plus founder and CEO Jim Berlin’s quest to restore the old station, create a cool vibe for his company, and support economic development of downtown Erie. The author of the case study summarizes the keys to the successful commercialization of Erie Union Station as follows:
LP renovated the station to suit modern office and commercial tenants
Experimented with a tenant mix that responds to local market demands
Station was one of the first large-scale building rehabilitation projects in Midtown
LP continues to participate in wider efforts to support neighborhood redevelopment
Renovation maintained the station’s historical integrity.
Thank you to Patrick Kidd, Senior Communications Specialist for Great American Stations Projects and Amtrak Archives for producing this case study in support of train station development. You can read the complete case study by clicking the image below. You can also download a PDF copy of the case study by clicking the thumbnail image shown above.
