OPERATIONS: JEFF ABBS – Page 6
Spring is here and while the weather is still not very pleasant we are beginning to see some warmer temperatures. We ended up having a strong finish to 2021, however we are off to a rocky start for 2022. January afforded us a solid foundation to start the year however February was a disappointing month and we were down in almost every segment of business, with the exception of O&I business which was up a massive 78% and our Naperville warehouse which was up 40% for the month. Local moving was down 16%, International was down a staggering 56%, packing was down 45%, and Interstate Hauling was down 33%. Through the first two months of the year, overall the company is about flat in revenue compared to 2021. The numbers for March will be much better than February but it isn’t looking like it will be anything spectacular. Accounting is still processing paperwork though and I hope that I am proven wrong.
I am both excited and nervous about what this summer is going to look like for our business. After the last couple of years, it’s hard to imagine what kind of curveballs we are going to see. I am hearing less about COVID these days and more about the Russian invasion in Ukraine. What kind of effects this will have on our economy are yet to be seen in their entirety. Rising fuel costs can certainly be attributed to the war, but it is hard to complain about that when you try to imagine what the citizens and families in Ukraine are going through.
Keeping this in mind, it is imperative that we continue to watch our bottom line and our expenses. Each year it is getting more challenging and expensive to do business so we must remain focused on keeping our costs in check. We’ve seen major increases in fuel, materials, vehicle parts/repairs, and labor. Let’s do our best to operate efficiently and not be wasteful. Along with that comes accurate accounting. We will be working with our local crews to ensure that all materials and work performed is being accounted for on their paperwork so that we can bill our customers accordingly.
I would like to take a moment and congratulate Jose Trujillo for taking a big step in his career and converting from an employee to an owner-operator. Jose began his career with Reebie in June of 2013 as a helper and soon after obtained his Class C license to drive a straight truck. Jose was also an integral part of our Northwestern crew for many years. This year Jose decided to purchase his own truck and is now our newest local contractor. Congratulations Jose, we look forward to having you as a part of our fleet!
Gilbert Arland offers this advice: “When an archer misses the mark, he turns and looks for the fault within himself. Failure to hit the bull’s-eye is never the fault of the target. To improve your aim – improve yourself.” I think it is important that we all continue to try to learn and improve ourselves every day, and with that will come success.
Sincerely,
Jeff