Redefining the Road magazine, the official magazine of the Women In Trucking Association (WIT), has announced the recipients of the 2019 “Top Woman-Owned Businesses in Transportation.”
The list was created to recognize women in leadership and encourage more women to become proactive leaders in their organizations – and even start their own businesses, WIT president and CEO Ellen Voie explained. The program supports WIT’s overall mission: To encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments, and minimize the obstacles they face.
Entrepreneurship is a viable means of economic self-sufficiency, and many women are choosing an enterprise connected to transportation to be part of their career aspirations, according to Brian Everett, publisher of Redefining the Road magazine.
Criteria used to identify qualified applicants include majority ownership by a woman, financial stability and growth, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit. Each company was nominated and chosen based upon business success and accomplishments –including those related to gender diversity.
The list is comprised of companies from a diverse range of business sectors in the commercial freight transportation marketplace, including motor carriers, third-party logistics companies, and original equipment manufacturers.
Companies named to the 2019 “Top Woman-Owned Businesses” list and the primary female business owners are:
- Bennett International Group (Marcia G. Taylor, CEO)
- Kenco Logistics (Jane Kennedy Greene, Chairwoman)
- London Auto Truck Center (Donna Childers, Vice President)
- Rihm Family Companies (Kari Rihm, President & CEO)
- Veriha Trucking, Inc. (Karen Smerchek, President)
- Rush Trucking Corp. (Andra Rush, CEO)
- Aria Logistics (Arelis Gutierrez, CEO)
- Lodgewood Enterprises (Arlene Gagne, President)
- S-2international, LLC (Jennifer Mead, CEO)
- International Express Trucking (Karen Duff, President & CEO)
- Brenny Transportation, Inc. (Joyce Brenny, CEO & Founder)
- Knichel Logistics (Kristy Knichel, CEO)
- Garner Trucking (Sherri Garner Brumbaugh, CEO)
- LYNC Logistics (Cindy Lee, President)
- Ontario Truck Training Academy (Yvette Lagrois, President)
- AGT Global Logistics (Angela Eliacostas, Owner & Founder)
- Powersource Transportation (Barb Bakos, President)
- LaunchIt Public Relations (Susan Fall, President)
- United Federal Logistics, Inc. (Jennifer Behnke, President)
- BCP Transportation (Nancy Spelsberg, Ardis Jourdan, Kristie Rozinski)
- Ladybird Logistics Ltd. (Felicia Payin Marfo, Managing Director)
- DGT Trucking (Donna G. Sleasman, Owner)
- RFX Inc. (Kimberly Welby, President & CEO)
These companies will be recognized during a special program at the upcoming Women In Trucking Accelerate! Conference & Expo, which takes place Sept. 30 –Oct. 2, 2019 in Dallas, Texas.
