Cue the fireworks and confetti! Here at Tallgrass Freight we are thrilled to be celebrating our first 10 years — and the many momentous achievements we had along the way. Of course, at the core of this celebration is the people that made it happen. Our Tallgrass agents and office team are the reason we’re ready for a champagne toast.
To be the best freight brokerage, you have to have the best people. Our back office support crew, our leadership team, our freight agents — we’re proud of every single person who’s claimed a spot on our TGF team. Can you hear the round of applause? Because we’re always cheering for the people we like to call family at TGF.
What has Tallgrass accomplished over the past 10 years and what’s ahead? Put on your party hat and let’s dive into the reasons for the revelry!
Starting From the Farmhouse
It all started in 2012 with Founder and CEO, Damon Anderson. Damon dreamed of starting the kind of company he always wanted to work for. “It’s hard to believe where we are at now,” says Damon. “We started out as a one-man brokerage with no intentions of being anything much more.”
Although Damon at first thought TGF would just be a one-man venture, the dream grew quickly. From adding Mike Clemmons to the team, to bringing TGF’s inaugural agents on, and bringing on David Barnes, TGF began in a humble farmhouse where fun came first and success soon followed.
Within five years, the company had grown its revenue more than 3,000%! From that farmhouse beginning, Tallgrass was born and its culture still echoes the fun and excitement of building out a big dream.
Bringing Home Gold
TGF has always had plenty to celebrate — and it’s all because of our team members. With the best freight agents in the TGF family, we can’t help but bring home the gold. Each year we’ve been thrilled as TGF’s success has gained recognition across the country.
It’s no surprise that we’ve swept the awards year after year! We’ve made Inc.’s list of 250 fast-growing private companies in the Midwest five years in a row. Of course, TGF isn’t just a success when it comes to money and size. First and foremost, we’ve always emphasized our culture and the experience our people have at work each day. And the judges agree! TGF has been named an Inc. 5000 Series: America’s Top Businesses in the Midwest for two years in a row. Plus, we’ve been a Kansas City Business Journal Best Places to Work for three whole years and on Ingram’s Top 100 Private Companies for four years and counting.
We’re always striving to be the BEST of the BEST. The recognition is just the icing on the cake.
Investing in Incredible Agents
Here, we believe Technology can either power you or drag you down: There is no in-between! To provide our freight agents with the very best CRM, we got to work. Creating this best-in-class freight CRM was no small feat. With 2.5 years of talent, time and $1 million in resources, the Tallgrass Freight “Cash Register” was born to make money for our agents.
We know that to be the best of the best, you must continue to evolve. So we started the “What if” program to incorporate agent ideas into the CRM (and reward them for it!). You better believe there will be more innovations ahead that will make it even easier for our agents to build their book of business!
From one-on-one coaching to leadership access and more, our agents get unparalleled support to reach their goals. The Agent Roundtable is one more way we like to empower our agents to hit their bank account dreams. In this twice-a-year education event, our agents come together to hear from experts in the industry about building a business better than ever before.
Delivering Outrageous Rewards
Work hard, PLAY HARD. That’s our motto. It’s no surprise we love to celebrate our agents. One way we get the party started is with industry-breaking rewards programs. From Club 200 and an incredible trip to Vegas to the Elite Circle and their bucket list trip, our agents reap well-deserved rewards.
In 2022, a RECORD number of agents were inducted into our Club 200 program. You can bet that the Vegas trip was more than EPIC. Just imagine making a toast from 800 feet above Vegas in the out-of-this-world Stratosphere. We also saw Elite Circle agents planning trips for the entire freight team to see the FIFA World Cup. Talk about a WIN!
Making Space for Success
What happens when your company is knocking it out of the park? You grow big! Over 10 years, TGF has seen the hiring of incredible teammates from independent agents to those in the home office. We are grateful for everyone who joined the team and keeps on stepping up to bat right by our side. Today, we’re pleased to have our leadership dream team, all of whom share our tenacity, ambition and commitment to keeping Tallgrass the BEST freight brokerage in the nation!
Keeping Up Community
Yes, the TGF culture is out of this world. That’s because we treat you and your family like our family. One way we do this is by coming together over AMAZING community events, like the Bounce House Bash. Don’t be fooled, these events are more than your average get together. At the Bounce House Bash, our team members and their families find loads of games, grilling and bounce houses galore.
But community happens in smaller ways too, like a holiday white elephant gift exchange and a chili cookoff in our Kansas City office! It’s all about bringing our amazing team together.
Your Future at Tallgrass Freight
The past 10 years have been an incredible journey for the TGF team. So as we think about our future, we invite you to think about yours too! We are incredibly excited about what’s ahead — and we’re actively recruiting the best freight professionals in the country to become a part of our independent freight agent network. If you’re not part of the TGF team yet, there has never been a better time to join! Learn more about becoming an agent.