C & S Awarded New Business

In a move to streamline its processes, the parent company of Winn-Dixie has decided to transfer operations of its six distribution centers, including the Hammond center, to C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc.
Earlier this month BI-LO Holding formally announced a long-term agreement with C&S under which the Keene, N.H.-based company will provide warehousing, transportation and most procurement services for all 480 Winn-Dixie stores and 206 BI-LO stores.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year

John Butorac, president and chief executive officer of Toledo-based Marco’s Pizza, is the only Ohioan among the finalists in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award program for the Michigan and northwest Ohio region.
The program, in its 27th year, recognizes entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence in areas including innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. Regional winners will be announced June 20 and will advance to the national competition.
Marco’s, founded by Pat Giammarco in Toledo in 1978, has more than 340 stores in 29 states, Panama, and the Bahamas.

Central Region Promotion Announcement - Jeremy Stout

Please join us in congratulating Jeremy Stout on his promotion to Account Manager for Champion Windows in Cincinnati, OH.

Jeremy just celebrated his two year anniversary with J.B. Hunt on April 18th. He has spent all of his time with J.B. Hunt at The Home Depot in Van Buren, OH where he started as an Operations Supervisor managing the local fleet. Jeremy promoted to Logistics Coordinator in the spring of 2012, just in time to lead the charge for Spring Surge. Prior to joining J.B. Hunt ,Jeremy worked in distribution for Guardian Auto Glass in Findlay, OH for three years. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 2007.

Please join us in congratulating Jeremy on his well deserved promotion!

Home Depot Beats Expectations

The Home Depot announced quarterly results this week that beat the expectations of many Wall Street analysts. For the retail outlet’s quarter that ended May 5, Home Depot earned $1.23 billion – $0.83 per share. This is an increase from $1.04 billion ($0.68 per share) for the same period in 2012.

This beat a consensus of analysts’ expectations of $0.76 per share. Moreover, net income was up 18% and this is due in part to the housing recovery that was seen in the Case/Schiller index earlier this year. CEO Frank Blake reportedly said “While weather negatively impacted our seasonal and exterior businesses, our core interior project business remained strong throughout the quarter.”

“This was encouraging and consistent with the views that the housing market is starting on the path to recovery,” said Blake.

The key words in that quote are core interior project business. The Home Depot, Inc. (NYSE:HD)’s strong quarter is not only a reflection of an uptick in the housing market, but also strong demand in the Northeast as homeowners are rebuilding in the wake of Super Storm

Pet Supplies Plus-Experts in Animal Care

Pet Supplies Plus brings supermarket-style convenience and value to the pet food and supply industry. Our mission is to make Pet Supplies Plus America’s favorite neighborhood source for the best foods, treats, toys and supplies. You'll be sure to find deep discount prices every day as well as friendly and knowledgeable staff. Come in today to see for yourself why Pet Supplies Plus is loved by people and pets alike!\

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Why People Like Pet Supplies Plus

• Our stores make shopping easier
• We offer a wide selection of name brand food treats, toys and supplies for all pets
• The everyday low prices at our stores can't be beat
• Our knowledgeable, courteous staff are always available to answer questions
• Pet Supplies Plus has experts in animal care

Why Pets Like Pet Supplies Plus

• Our stores make shopping fun
• Treats, chew toys and other cool stuff is stocked on low shelves, so they're easy for dogs to reach
• Our low prices mean that people can buy more goodies for their pets
• Our staff are always making a fuss over pets

 

Arkansas Truck Driving Championship-The Week is Here!

The DCS Team is present and accounted for in Lowell, AR.  We have 5 stellar drivers representing the division this year.  Anthony Warchol and Sherry Sapp are on the tarmac providing support and training for the 3 days of preparation. 

Our driving team consists of the following members:

1.  Joe Schultz             Orchard Park, NY     Toyota-Owensboro                  Flatbed
2.  Brandon Garey       Waverly, OH            Toyota-Owensboro                   Flatbed
3.  Bob Pratt                 Beaver, WV             Toyota-Owensboro                   Flatbed
4.  Jason Brown           Herkimer, NY           Family Dollar-Rome, NY        Doubles
5.  Mark Overholt        Akron, OH                Final Mile - SOLOHX             Straight Tractor

We will be sending out more information during the week, but please think positive thoughts for our team during the competition on Friday/Saturday.

The IM division has 5 drivers and Truck has 2 drivers in the competition.

Central Region Driver of the Month - April 2013

Perry Paldoussis is the top driver for the INDINX account. He is always willing to share experience and knowledge to the other drivers. We can depend on Perry to properly train the new drivers that have been added to the account. Perry is the go to guy for tough builder issues. We know that anything that we need to fix for a builder will be done so without any issue.

Perry has a great relationship with the builders in the Indianapolis market.Our manager recently attended meetings with Pulte Home Builders and Fischer Homes. All of the site supervisors had great things to say about Perry. Every one of them requested that we only send Perry to complete their installs. The site supervisors at Pulte stated that Perry is great with communicating to them. He always calls when there are issues with installs or if he sees other issues in their homes. They stated that Perry will call them and let them know when an install is complete as well. The Fischer Homes site supervisors stated that Perry has always done a great job with their installs. Chris McKinney stated that he is always more comfortable knowing that Perry is completing an install in one of his homes. Chris said that he is never worried about running into issues at the time of the walk through or home inspection.

Perry recently won the Pulte Quarterly Trade Partner Award for the first quarter of 2013. The Pulte site supervisors recognized Perry because of his communication and installation skills. I have had nothing but compliments from the Pulte site supervisors. They were very proud and happy to give Perry this award.

Perry also does a great job with home installations. Perry is willing to take the time to complete home installations and explain to the customer what he is doing on the install and any pertinent information the homeowner needs regarding the appliances. We received a phone call from a customer who had an uncrate and set in place order. Perry took the time to explain what the homeowner would need as far as parts and explained how to complete the install.

Perry has a great safety record. Perry has not had any collisions in his three and a half years with Final Mile. Perry has only had 1 preventable incident and this incident was questionable as to whether it was done by him at the time of install. Perry has averaged only 3 points per month in driver violations. He has never received a log letter. Perry is never missing any logs. His paperwork and logs are turned in timely. Perry will also notify us when his MCC is not working and will make sure that he gets signatures on the BOL’s and lets the admin clerk know so she can scan them in for proof of delivery.

Value - Has a great relationship with the builders in the Indianapolis market.

Value – Won the Pulte Quarterly Trade Partner Award.

People – Willing to share his experience and knowledge with the other drivers in the account.

People – Has had three 10 scores on surveys in the past few months.

Safety – No collisions in the three and a half years with Final Mile.

Safety - Received a positive observation in the month of March.

Safety – Averages 3 points per month in driver violations. One of the best at the account.

 

Congratulations Perry.....You've earned this award!

DOT Visits Louisville, Kentucky Terminal

Today some of our team had the opportunity to spend some time with officers of the Kentucky State Police learning about DOT inspections, We enjoyed a presentation that showed us why inspections are done and what is looked for during the inspection. Then we were given a hands on demonstration of an inspection.

Everyone who attended walked away with a better understanding of what our driving team needs to prepare for before rolling down the road

 

Memorial Day

Hopefully everyone enjoyed the long weekend we know as Memorial Day Weekend.  Here is a little thought to recognize the true meaning of Memorial Day:

Freedom Is Not Free" was first coined by retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Walter Hitchcock, of New Mexico Military Institute. The idiom expresses gratitude for the service of members of the military, implicitly stating that the freedoms enjoyed by many citizens in many democracies are only possible through the voluntary risks taken and sacrifices made by those in military. The saying is often used to convey respect specifically to those who gave their lives in defense of freedom.
"Freedom Is Not Free" is engraved into one wall at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C..

I toured the United States Naval Academy last week and I was struck by the devotion of the 4,900 undergraduates.  The devotion to country and service was apparent everywhere you looked as we made our way through Annapolis.

Thank a veteran every day, not just on a holiday.

Forbes Global 2000

One world: one gigantic market place. This year, 63 countries have Global 2000 entries vs 51 in our inaugural list in 2004. Forbes Global 2000 are the biggest, most powerful listed companies in the world. Our justification for using a composite ranking is simple: One metric alone can give a false impression about corporate size. Our ranking of the world’s biggest companies departs from lopsided lists based on a single metric, like sales. Instead we use an equal weighting of sales, profits, assets and market value to rank companies according to size.

 

 

J.B. Hunt ranked #1665!

CiCi's reveals West Coast Expansion Plans

Locally, there’s no shortage of dining choices for pizza, but that’s of little concern to CiCi’s Pizza executives, who are bullish on expanding their buffet-style brand in San Diego County.

Over the next five years, the Texas-based chain plans to open 11 more restaurants in the county, where today there is just one.

 

The lone CiCi’s in San Diego is on University Avenue near 58th Street, south of San Diego State University.

 

“We’re looking at San Diego and Los Angeles as target markets because we’re so under-penetrated there,” said Thomas McCord, vice president of real estate and franchise development. “We’re not a high-end pizza concept. We’re about value. We do very well with blue-collar households, with people (who) want to take their family, have a full buffet and a nice dinner out for under $5.99.”

Besides the city of San Diego, the chain is targeting Chula Vista, La Mesa, El Cajon, Escondido, Spring Valley and Carlsbad for its expansion plans.

 

Because CiCi’s is dominated by franchise-owned restaurants, the company is looking for local operators with deep franchise experience in other brands, McCord said. Each restaurant, he noted, costs roughly $450,000 to develop and will mean 40 to 50 more jobs created.

 

The company is willing to invest $100,000 per restaurant to help underwrite development costs, but as a condition of that it becomes a nonvoting minority shareholder.

 

Nationwide, the pizza market continues to attract newcomers looking to capitalize on what has always been a popular food choice, making competition all that much stiffer. Throughout the country, there are 67,466 pizza places, including both chains and independently run eateries, according to The NPD Group, a market research firm.

 

Where CiCi’s distinguishes itself, McCord said, is its buffet concept, which includes not only pizza, but also pastas, salads, soups and desserts. The restaurants also make their pizza dough and cinnamon rolls fresh each day.

 

“We have high school kids who come in and stack the plates and it gets crazy,” McCord said. “Our focus is on dine-in, carry out and catering. We don’t deliver. We have a lot of franchisees and encourage them to get involved with the community. ... We also have a game room in the back that gives parents some time to stay together.”

 

Founded in 1985 with more than 500 restaurants in 34 states, CiCi’s also is interested in growing its presence in airports.

Sustainability is the focus at Whirlpool

Jeff Fettig, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR), discussed the company’s environmental responsibility as the leader in the global home appliance industry during a keynote address at EE Global 2013 yesterday. The event concludes this afternoon in Washington, D.C.

Opening the plenary session on, “The Next Generation of Energy Efficiency: Driving Productivity through Investment, Modernization and Education,” Fettig issued a call to action to the appliance industry, consumers and government agencies.

“Today, there are more than 860 million appliances in the U.S. This is a huge industry with a huge impact, which is why Whirlpool incorporates energy efficiency into everything we do. Every appliance we make is more energy efficient than the appliance we made a year ago, five years ago and 10 years ago,” said Fettig.

Fettig emphasized that focusing on appliance replacement is our biggest opportunity in energy efficiency. As an example, a new washer today is 77 percent more efficient than one from the year 2000 and only costs $66 a year to run. Consumers who replace older models would save $117 a year. He also discussed the advantages of the company’s new suite of smart appliances, which have the capability to “talk” to the electrical grid. These appliances can shift energy consumption to reduce impact during peak energy usage times.

“These approaches make sense for consumers by delivering on performance, being cost-effective and having a big impact on saving our precious natural resources,” he said.

Fettig offered specific examples to illustrate how improvements in appliances are saving energy:

• Refrigerators are bigger and have better features; yet they cost less to buy and operate and are more energy efficient. A modern refrigerator uses less energy than a 60-watt light bulb.
• Front-load washing machines can hold 20 percent more laundry than they did in the year 2000, yet they are 70 percent more efficient. Also, today’s washers use 26 fewer gallons of water than 13 years ago, equaling 8,000 gallons saved per year.
• If newer dishwasher models with heightened standards were in every home in the U.S., it would save 270 billion gallons of water annually. Over the lifetime of the products, that’s enough water to fill more than 40 million Olympic swimming pools.
• All the refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and clothes washers shipped to consumers last year will save 111 trillion kWh during their lifetime. That’s enough energy to power Washington, D.C. for 60 years.

Toyota-Tops in the Automotive Field

Toyota has been named the most valuable automotive brand in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2013 report.

The survey ranked brands using financial data and the views of current and potential customers. Toyota was valued at $24.5 billion dollars (£16.2 billion), an increase of 12 per cent on 2012.

The rise in value was big enough for the Japanese car giant to overtake BMW as the most valuable motoring brand. It's the sixth time in the eight years of the BrandZ report that Toyota has been ranked at the top of the automotive sector.

According to the report, Toyota's championing of hybrid technology was one reason for the brand's high value. Toyota's strong global sales performance (sales up 22.6% worldwide in 2012) also contributed to the company's first place performance, when many other car makers have struggled with sales below pre-recession levels.

Last year's top motoring brand, BMW, was ranked just behind Toyota, valued at $24 billion. Mercedes-Benz was named the third most valuable motoring brand, ahead of Honda, Nissan and Volkswagen

Champion Windows....an Innovator in the Window Business

As the Home Remodeling Industry comes roaring back to life, homeowners are delighted to see window replacement options beyond traditional vinyl and wood. While the authentic look of wood has always been appreciated by home owners, the downside has been windows that often stick and suffer the problem of drafts.

Champion Windows, a Cincinnati based company and multiple year winner of the Consumers' Choice Award, has come up with a window that retains the warm luxurious look of wood for the home’s interior but doesn't utilize the laminate or veneer finishes that have traditionally been the only non-wood options. Until recently, the technology was not very advanced and the process used either a laminate sticker or a thin wood veneer glued onto the vinyl. Neither had the maintenance-free lasting quality that is required by Champion. The wood laminate or veneer is susceptible to blistering, peeling, and delamination. Over time these finishes get damaged and look worn, features that don't provide a long-term design solution for homeowners.

In a first of its kind in the window industry a technological advancement allows a wood grain finish to be bonded to the vinyl. This first permanent vinyl window wood grain finish is only available at Champion.

Many common wood grain effects are done using contact paper which adheres to the vinyl like a sticker. Like the contact paper in your kitchen cabinets, a sticker is going to fail over time. Veneers give you the most authentic wood appearance but like veneer furniture, it can separate from the glued surface. It is also susceptible to scratches and chips.

The same technology that is used for wood finishes in the auto industry has been adapted for wood finishes on Champion’s windows. This state-of-the-art high temperature and pressure transfer process bonds the wood grain finish to the vinyl.

Champion calls this window TimberBond™ and it comes with all the standard features and guarantees of Champion’s original Comfort 365 Window® Timberbond™ is guaranteed not to blister, peel, delaminate or fade. And perhaps equally important it carries the "Proudly Designed,         

 

The Marco's 500

Marco's Pizza is pushing to open its 500th store by 2014. The Toledo, Ohio-based chain currently has more than 350 stores open, with more than 200 in development.
"If someone was going to invest in a concept, now's the time to get in on the ground floor," said Marco's CEO Jack Butorac. "We've spent years positioning the concept and creating a great brand based on quality. We have over 350 stores open now, and our plan is to become the fourth largest pizza chain."
Marco's Pizza has been working to elevate its profile in the pizza delivery segment of the restaurant industry. According to a news release, more than 40 percent of Marco's franchisees are former franchisees of other national pizza chains.

Hoosier State is Watching You

 

Seventy-five percent of the speeding violations received by J.B. Hunt drivers on May 14, 2013 that resulted in road side inspections were in the state of Indiana.  It is imperative that we obey all traffic laws and speed limits when we travel through Indiana.  

 

Soft-Lite partners with J.B. Hunt

Soft-Lite has announced they will be partnering with J.B. Hunt to be their dedicated provider starting June 23, 2013.

Soft-Lite's approach to business has remained the same throughout the years. They have dedicated their organization to providing innovative products that exceed industry standards for quality, reliability, and performance. Soft-Lite uses leading edge technologies and equipment in manufacturing, allowing them to exceed their customers' requirements for beautiful, strong and thermally efficient windows.

 

Soft-Lite offers an extensive line of replacement windows and accessories to fit any home, region or climate. All their products are built to last, and are backed by an on-going commitment to the people who buy them. Quality and commitment to excellence have been the cornerstones of our success. They will continue to serve as the foundations for Soft-Lite's efforts in the future.

Our location will be in Streetsboro, Ohio.  Several of the items that Soft-Lite listed for making the change are as follows:
 

• Onboard technology and GPS tracking systems.
• Better flexibility during the seasonality of our industry.
• Two on-site managers to handle the logistics.
• Dedicated fleet handling only Soft-Lite deliveries

J.B. Hunt is extremely humbled that we have been chosen to be the Dedicated provider for an outstanding company like Soft-Lite.

Great Publicity for One of our Clients

 

If you asked 100 people what their favorite pizza is, you’d probably get a hundred different answers. But if you let 100 people sample Marco’s specialty pizzas alongside its competitors, the majority of them would choose Marco’s.

When Marco's hired the Proctor & Gamble Test Kitchen, MRSI, to conduct a four-month study with focus groups, 72% of people who tried Marco’s pizza said they’d purchase it again — more than twice the intent to repurchase of the other pizza delivery franchises the kitchen tested.

“If you serve a great tasting pizza, the business will follow,” says Cameron Cummins, Marco’s vice president of Franchise Marketing and Recruiting. “In our industry, you are only as good as your last pizza and our customers keep buying from us because our pizzas taste better.”

The business world is starting to take notice:

• Entrepreneur magazine included us in its Franchise 500 and Fastest Growing categories in 2013.
• Entrepreneur ranked us no. 3 on the list of Top 10 Pizza Franchises in 2012, a list we’ve been steadily climbing every year.
• AllBusiness ranked Marco’s its #6 Allstar Franchise System for 2013, based on its top rating for strong financial performance.
• Marco’s is now the fastest growing pizza company in the country

Heartfelt Welcome Back!

We have great news!  Joe Ramos, one of our veteran drivers in Salem, NY, has returned back to work.  We could not be more pleased.  Thanks to everyone who has worked diligently to get Joe cleared.  It is a better day when you see Joe Ramos in a J.B. Hunt feed tractor.

Nicer in the Nati!

We had a real issue with storage execution at our FMS site in Cincinnati.  Cort Duggins arrived at the CINOHX site and put together a great strategy on parts organization.  Check out his work below:

 Thanks Maintenance Team......!

Champion Windows partners with the Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians and Champion Windows will team to build a new broadcast booth at Progressive Field, with construction set for completion in May.

The booth, dubbed Champion Windows Studio, will be located adjacent to the RIDGID Jobsite Bar in center field. The studio will feature pregame and post-game programming on WTAM-AM 1100 for every home game, hosted primarily by Nick Camino and Bob Frantz. Select other Clear Channel programming also will be broadcast from Champion Windows Studio on Indians home game dates.

"We're excited to align our brand with the Cleveland Indians and Clear Channel's Indians coverage," said ANDY WIMSATT, Division Manager of Champion Windows. "Champion Windows Studio will be in a prime location at Progressive Field to show Tribe fans the quality of our products. This partnership also shows our commitment to the community by including a $25,000 donation component to benefit the youth the Cleveland Indians serve in Northeast Ohio."

As part of the agreement, Cleveland Indians Charities will partner with Champion Windows through its "Champions of Hope" outreach program, through which Champion will contribute $25,000 to CIC.

"Champion was adamant about including this charitable aspect in our partnership, which will help the Indians continued efforts to impact the Northeast Ohio community and the youth that live here," said REBECCA KODYSH, the Indians Executive Director of Community Impact

You will want to read this article!

J.B. Hunt and his wife, Johnelle, sat down for a meeting with their accountants one day in the mid-1970s. Johnelle Hunt can’t recall the exact date, but she remembers plenty of other details from that day as they evaluated the future of J.B. Hunt Transport.

Read the rest of the article at :

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/92184/jb-hunts-origins-offer-lessons-for-today

Freight Volume on the Upswing!

The American Trucking Associations’

advanced seasonally adjusted

(SA) For

‐Hire Truck Tonnage

Index gained 0.9% in March

after decreasing 0.7% in February.

Tonnage has now increased in

four of the last five months. Specifically,

since November 2012, the

index is up 7.6%. In March, the SA

index equaled 123.5 versus 122.3 in

February. The highest level on record

was December 2011 at 124.3.

Compared with March 2012, the SA

index was up a solid 3.8%, beating

February’s 3.1% year

‐over‐year

gain. Year

‐to‐date, compared with

the same period in 2012, the tonnage

index is up 3.9%.

The not seasonally adjusted

index, which represents the

change in tonnage actually hauled

by the fleets before any seasonal

adjustment, equaled 125.2 in

March, which was 11.5% above the

previous month (112.3).

“Fitting with the expectation

for solid gross domestic product

growth in the first quarter, tonnage

was strong in March and the

quarter overall,” ATA Chief Economist

Bob Costello said. “At 3.9%

year

‐over‐year growth, the first

quarter increase was the best

since the final quarter 2011.”