Intuition, caring, touch creates new age for transportation industry

Carolyn Gable was not looking for a glamorous career when she started the Lake Zurich,
IL-based New Age Transportation, Distribution & Warehousing Inc. in 1989. Instead she
was looking to fill a need within the third-party logistics industry.
“I saw an excellent opportunity to add female intuition, touch and caring to an industry that
impacts almost everything consumers buy.

These are some of the qualities that are often
missed in the business world,” she said. “Fortunately, our customers appreciate that not only
do we provide the services our counterparts provide, we do it better. We do it with a true
sense of caring that makes a difference.”

By simply looking at the numbers, New Age Transportation’s clients — including a number
of household names, such as Time-Warner — have come to appreciate what Gable and her
team offer. Having started as a single-employee firm in Gable’s basement, the company has
seen steady growth both in revenues and employees. Today, New Age Transportation has 65
highly dedicated employees and has seen double-digit revenue growth over the last eight
years, topping annual sales totals of $31 million.

For her tireless efforts, Gable has earned esteemed recognition from her peers, including the
Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, where she was honored with the 2008
Shining Star Award for excellence, innovation and growth.

PROVEN DEDICATION

New Age Transportation serves as a facilitator, moving goods between the manufacturer and the
customer through optimized freight channels, distribution centers and warehousing operations.

In this role, New Age Transportation works with many variables, ultimately requiring a significant
level of client tr ust. Gable stressed the manner in which the New Age Transportation team takes
its customer s’ trust seriously. It shows in how the third-party logistics fir m handles tight situations.

“We know that there are always instances that stray from the ideal, but we are always forth-
right with our clients, take any problems to heart and ultimately work closely with the client to
find acceptable solutions,” she said.“The goal is to make sure clients are happy with the service
we provide.”
Consistency in the transportation arena requires the deployment of a solid management
team. While Gable continues to serve as the company’s CEO, she considers herself fortunate
to have built a dependable management team that fully embraces her core beliefs.

Vice
President Jenny Talley handles the day-to-day operations, while Jim Legg is the general manag-
er and human resource director. Bill Schanck is the warehouse manager, and Diane Canoy,
assistant director of AOL Time Warner, manages delivery time and pricing for the Time Warner
account. As truckload and customer service manager, Megan Smith handles both the compa-
ny’s customer relations and freight departments.

EYE ON THE ROAD

Gable is not oblivious to the challenges currently facing the transportation industry — the
most significant relating to the fuel crisis. As a result, Gable and her team are continuously
looking at different approaches.
“We proactively look for ways to restructure shipments in a manner that we can help clients
see cost savings, primarily through innovative supply chain management solutions,” she said.

“The key is keeping customers in the loop. For instance, when we recently heard of a loom-
ing truck strike we made sure our clients were aware of possible obstacles. Providing a heads-
up is part of maintaining a solid relationship.”