For more than 65 years, RIDG-U-RAK has been
the innovative leader in storage rack design and
production. Whether you need replacement beams
or a storage system covering 30 acres of warehouse
space, RIDG-U-RAK is the name to trust.
Trust RIDG-U-RAK with your next project
• One of the largest rack manufacturers
• Capacity in excess of 60,000 tons per year
• Project management and installation services
• Full array of storage
system solutions
• Unparalleled
innovation, design
and application
experience NEW! Full Line Selection Guide
Toll Free: 866-479-7225
www.ridgurak.com
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Selective Pallet Rack • Drive-In • Push Back • Flow
• Pick Modules • Cantilever • Stacker Cranes •
Roll-Out Shelving • Seismic Base Isolation
She is actively involved in many civic and professional
organizations and served as the co-chair for the World
Presidents’ Organization Legacy Experience Annual
Conference in 2008. She spoke recently with DC VELOCITY
Group Editorial Director Mitch Mac Donald about her
short but eventful career to date.
QWhat prompted you to get into the logistics and sup- ply chain field?
AI grew up in the business with my father starting TranzAct in 1984 and my mother joining the organization in 1989, so I spent numerous school holidays and
summers at TranzAct. I remember when I was 10 or 11 years
old I came into work for a few hours and I was calculating
float credits back in the days when those were part of the
payment fee structure.
QNo young person should have that much fun.
AI guess it appealed to my interest in numbers and math, and I liked the fact that it wasn’t the same thing
every day. There were different reports and different analyses. I did some projects that I was told were very helpful with
assisting clients and provided a good return to them. I took
some satisfaction in knowing that I could help companies.
When I graduated from college with a degree in marketing and accounting, I figured I’d eventually join TranzAct,
but I don’t think my parents thought I was that serious
about it. So I started looking for jobs in Chicago in marketing and logistics, and eventually landed a job with a truckload brokerage firm.
I worked as a dispatcher there for a year and learned how
to work the phones and dial for trucks. I was there during
Hurricane Katrina, when trucks were really at a premium. I
remember pulling out the FMCSA book and basically just
having to go through the list, calling trucking company after
trucking company trying to find a truck for certain loads. It
was good experience.
After about a year, I was presented with an opportunity to
move into a sales role at another company. At the time,
TranzAct was also looking to fill an open position in its
small truckload brokerage division. After discussing it with
my parents, I decided it was the right time to join TranzAct.
So I came in and ran that division for about three years. I
definitely got a lot of valuable experience doing that.
QDescribe your current role at TranzAct and what you do as the assistant vice president of business development.
AWell, I wear multiple hats. In my current role, I focus a lot on sales, obviously, but my job also involves developing relationships and partnerships with other companies
in the industry, looking for new opportunities to expand
our services and our offerings, new product development,
things like that. We’re always asking ourselves: “What are
