Our CEO, Damon Anderson, recently participated in a freight industry panel discussion hosted by Thinking Bigger. The breakfast event was a wonderful opportunity to hear from other companies in our industry. And as a nod to our gracious hosts, Damon shared insight and accomplishments that show how, as a company, we’re also thinking bigger—the bigger, the better!
It’s always gratifying to have a chance to share the Tallgrass Freight story with others. It’s not what we’re doing that’s different; instead, it’s how we approach transportation logistics that makes us stand out.
“We’re not reinventing the wheel, but we really have changed the dynamic for how a freight brokerage can work,” Damon says.
A big part of that is, of course, our freight agent network, which gives our freight agents the independence and resources to be their own bosses. It’s a challenging yet fulfilling role, which is why we place such a huge emphasis on our company culture.
“Our entire business is focused on people,” Damon says, summarizing remarks he made during the panel. “We have to have the right people to grow and succeed and attract quality freight agents from other places. We’re not going to be successful if we don’t have a successful group of people working with us.”
Damon says his thoughts on culture and hiring resonated with the panel attendees, including one in particular.
“A gentleman approached me after the breakfast and said he sold a business a year ago that he owned for 20 years,” Damon says. “He told me I hit the nail on the head with my comments about people and culture. He said without those attributes, your business won’t reach its ultimate goal.”
We don’t just talk the talk when it comes to hiring, retention and company culture. Tallgrass Freight recently added employees to both our IT and accounting departments to help us continue making progress on strategic goals, including further expanding our proprietary Decision Engine and helping us refine other key technological tools like our company intranet and CRM. These new hires speak not only to the current success of the company, but also our confidence as we look ahead this year and beyond.
“We’re excited to welcome these new employees,” Damon says. “Not only will they help us achieve key business goals, but the hires also speak to the optimism we have for 2019 in general.”
These new hires are just in time, too, as we move full speed ahead (no pun intended) into the start of our busy season. March proved to be an exceptionally good month in terms of our shipment count, and activity is projected to further increase as we move through spring and into summer.
As a company who encourages its freight agents to act like entrepreneurs, we know better than most that it can be scary to step outside the box and think big. Yet we’re also proof of what’s possible if you take that leap, surround yourself with talented people and relentlessly pursue your goals. We’re grateful to Thinking Bigger for a chance to share our big thoughts with a wonderful and receptive group of attendees. And to our new employees: welcome to the Tallgrass Freight family! Let’s make big things happen.