In The News
ES Gears Up for Growth with Building Expansion & Investment in Programs Supporting the Company’s Community of Small Businesses
The company expands the recruiting department at its operational headquarters as ES continues to move forward with a strategic plan that is focused on supporting small businesses in trucking.
ES, a leader in capacity solutions and ownership opportunities within the trucking industry, announced the company recently completed the current phase of its operational headquarters expansion with the addition of new office space specifically designed for the ES Recruiting Department. The decision to move forward with the development of a larger space for the recruiting department within the ES operational headquarters is part of an overall strategic plan focused on supporting the continued growth of the company’s truck ownership opportunities and expanding its business support programs for the members of the ES Community.
At ES, one of the points that we stress with every business owner who becomes part of our program is the importance of setting money aside to invest back into your business. The expansion of the new space for the growing needs of our recruiting department is one of the ways that our company is investing in our future as well as investing in the needs of our ES Community,” said Paul Williams, CEO of ES. “As a company, ES provides safe, stable and profitable capacity to our partner carriers by connecting carriers with our community of small business owners consisting of independent contractor drivers, owner-operators and fleet owners. The success of ES is directly tied to the success of the motor carriers and the members of the ES community, and we believe it is essential to continue to invest in the infrastructure and programs that will further open the doors for success in trucking.”
Williams noted that ES originally acquired the company’s operational headquarters building – which had previously served as a newspaper distribution center just south of Memphis – because it could accommodate future growth needs. The Recruiting Department expansion is the third construction project that ES has completed since 2017. Previously, the company had added the Hub, a gathering space for owner-operators and independent contract drivers, as well as an expanded area for the IT Department, Accounting and other back-office support functions ES provides to participants in the company’s programs.
“When Expediter Services entered the trucking industry and began introducing our offerings in the expedited sector in 2006, we had developed a strategic plan for future growth and the development of our programs that could expand beyond expedite,” explained Williams. “Having a building large enough where we can expand as necessary to provide the highest level of support for the needs of the small businesses in the ES Community has helped our company move forward in what we can offer to the overall trucking industry.”
Continued Commitment to Reinvesting in Infrastructure & Programs
According to Jason Williams, President of ES, one of the company’s core principles is the commitment to make investments back into company’s infrastructure in order to enhance the offerings available to the ES Community. The company’s history and track record of growth stand as proof of the dedication to reinvestment – in both prosperous times and during periods when the market is soft. One of the benefits of becoming a leading provider of non-asset capacity to the expedited sector could be seen in the manner with which ES brought its proven model of creating small businesses to general trucking. By 2016, the company had introduced truck ownership programs and support services tailored for the demands of the truckload (TL) and less than truckload (LTL) sectors.
In November of 2017, ES partnered with the Women In Trucking Association to launch the 150 Business Challenge, a collaborative initiative between the two organizations to create 150 women-owned businesses in transportation. Over the past two years, the 150 Business Challenge is fast approaching 100 new trucking start-ups as a result of participation in the program, which offers an attainable path to financing as well as operational and business support for women who have an interest in a career path within the trucking industry. Qualified participants in all of the ES ownership programs have access to competitive, market-rate financing with a credit-evaluation process that places an emphasis on attitude, aptitude, work ethic and work history.
“Trucking has allowed me to realize my dream of becoming my own boss, and the opportunity I have through ES and 150 Business Challenge allowed my dream of truck ownership to come true,” said Shannon Richert, who is running with Forward Air. “I can’t say enough about the ownership program and the support services available to me as part of the ES Community. I am running my own small business in an industry that I love. ES has opened the doors to the best experience I’ve had in all my years in trucking.
“I quickly discovered ES is a company that you can trust. They will stand with you no matter what’s happening in the freight market,” she added. “ES will tell you, ‘If you can drive a truck, you can own the truck,’ and that’s absolutely true. You are going to have ups and downs in trucking. It’s a fact of life. But, because of the comprehensive way that ES supports the people in their programs, you can enter truck ownership at any time and at any point in the freight cycle. If you want to get into truck ownership today and you are willing to commit to the work needed to be successful, ES can help you make it happen.”
The 150 Business Challenge: A Closer Look at the Commitment to Provide Opportunities
Long before the collaboration with WIT on the 150 Business Challenge, ES had established a reputation in the industry for opening doors for women who are seeking to become business owners in trucking. Today, the number of women within the ES Community who are fleet owners, owner-operators or independent contract drivers involved in the programs offered by the company now exceeds 38 percent of the ES fleet. When compared to the overall industry average of women behind the wheel, the percentage of women participating in the ES truck ownership programs and utilizing the company’s support services is nearly five times greater than the current national average.
FedEx, Forward Air and Panther Premium Logistics, a service of ArcBest, have become leading participating motor carriers within the ES Community. These three companies served as the exclusive motor carriers for the inaugural Success In Trucking Expo (SITE), which was held at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway complex in early June of this year.
Donna Sleasman, a 38-year veteran of the industry who found a home in expediting as an owner-operator with FedEx in 2000, began utilizing the support services of ES in 2012 as she was growing her own fleet of expedited trucks within FedEx. Donna brought a depth of perspective to the SITE as a member of the panel discussion on truck ownership at the event. Within the last year, Donna further grew her fleet through the 150 Business Challenge program, and she was recognized in July by the Women In Trucking Association as one of the honorees for the organization’s Top Women-Owned Businesses Award.
“To think that someone like me who has a company with five or six trucks could be on this list is quite flattering, and I feel like I need to share the credit for this award with ES,” said Donna. “ES has become a valued business partner, and they have helped me become more successful as a business owner. The discounts ES provides are some of the best in the trucking industry, and the support they offer to me and to everyone in their program is first-rate. I can walk right into Jason Williams’ office and ask him a question. He will take the time to listen and to get me with the right people who can address what I need.
“ES backs up what they tell you and they truly care about your success as a business owner,” she added. “The biggest thing is that they have been there when I have needed them, and that’s the way they work with everyone in their program. I wish ES had been in business with the program they have today back when I started.”
Positive Impact of the Inaugural Success In Trucking Expo (SITE)
The response from professional drivers, owner-operators and fleet owners interested in attending the inaugural edition of the SITE was confirmation in the decision to move forward with the expansion of the ES Recruiting Department space at the company’s headquarters.
“The outreach and marketing efforts we made related to the SITE helped to build a lot of positive momentum for our recruiting department,” said Jeff Tacker, COO of ES. “We are thrilled to be in our new space. It not only meets our needs at the moment and in the months ahead, but this expansion will allow us to continue to grow for years to come. We added one new recruiter in early September, and we are looking forward to adding to the team as they are needed.”
According to ES, the SITE has contributed to the increased interest the company has received from carriers within expedite and general trucking seeking to work with the non-asset capacity that ES is developing for the industry.
“We are quite thankful and very fortunate to have established strong working relationships with three of the trucking industry’s leading names in FedEx, Forward Air and ArcBest through Panther Premium Logistics. One of the byproducts of the success ES and the members of our community have realized over the years can be seen in the calls that we have gotten from a number of motor carriers interested in our program,” said Jason Williams. “We spend a good amount of time talking with interested motor carriers and closely examining all aspects of those companies to see if they are a good fit for our ES Community. We are currently preparing to beta test a carrier and we will be looking at some additional carrier candidates over the next year. At the end of the day, one of the biggest questions in the evaluation process is this: How will the carrier benefit the small business owners in our community?”
About ES
A full-service, one-stop support company with expertise in financial services, relationship lending and general business support, ES has developed highly effective programs focused on creating opportunities for independent contract drivers and owner-operators in the trucking industry. ES features support in the areas of contract driver services, equipment finance, truck sales, management services and insurance services. In addition to serving as the leading provider of capacity in the expedited sector of trucking, ES also has built a strong network of independent contract drivers, owner-operators, fleet owners and partner carriers within the over-the-road, general trucking sector of the transportation industry. For more information on opportunities and services offered through ES, visit ESsuccessintrucking.com.