OPERATIONS: JEFF ABBS – Page 6
It seems that we are continuing the trend of the last couple of years in having a slow start to the new year. We are down in many important business segments, especially with Local, Office & Industrial, and International. However, due to Reebie’s diversity in business lines, there are usually some bright spots that show up on the financials, even in bleak times. Through March, our Interstate hauling is up over 28%. This was achieved through a combination of diligent salesmanship from Anthony Licata and his team, as well as productive planning and dispatching from Ryan Thies. In addition, our Skyview warehouse revenue is up over 17%, largely due to the increased storage revenue from our tenant. What is sometimes overlooked are our Databank and Store Your Things divisions. While we hardly ever see dramatic increases or decreases in these business lines, I can’t stress enough how important their contributions and efforts are to our success. They are ever more important during difficult times as they help to sustain our fixed costs and bolster our cash flow.
I wanted to take a moment to highlight, as well as share some news regarding a few of our Interstate drivers. Many of you are already aware that Freddie Chaney decided to retire from the industry this year. Freddie brought his extensive moving experience to Reebie in 2006 and was an intricate part of our Interstate fleet. Alfonso Garcia, after working with Reebie for over 30 years, has also decided to retire from the industry this year. Al started out as a local provider with us back in 1995 and in 2005 bought his first tractor and continued to driver over the road for us for 20 years. Last, but certainly not least, Teotis “Billy” Rozier has also made the difficult decision to retire from Reebie this year. Billy joined our fleet back in late 2004 and spent over 20 years with us driving over the road. These three gentlemen, their personalities, their hard work, and their outstanding performance will all be sorely missed at Reebie. I would like to wish them all longevity and good fortune during their retirement.
I would like to close with a quote by Helen Keller, who said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement; nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” It’s difficult to predict what the future might bring, so we must take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to us and approach them with optimism and confidence.
Sincerely,
Jeff