Dear Customers and Friends:
I’ve learned a lot of lessons in life by simply listening to the wisdom of my parents. One lesson in particular has been embedded in my head and heart for most of my life.
It was introduced nearly four decades ago when my father, Jim Syfan, was drawing up the vision for our original trucking logistics company. On a board, he wrote: “If we take care of our people, and take care of our customers and carriers, the profits will always be there.”
He turned to me and my brother, Steve, and said, “Notice the order.”
I admit Steve and I initially were confused. “Shouldn’t we put our customers and trucking partners first?,” we thought. “After all, they’re the ones who pay our bills.”
I don’t know whether they teach this principle in business schools today, but they should. Through the years, this internal focus on putting our team first has blessed our company many times over with success.
Syfan Logistics is now a multi-million-dollar company, but I believe everyone on our team views us like a family business. We provide meals several times a week and bring in a “Sweet Truck” on Fridays with desserts like ice cream. We also offer an on-site gym and a personal trainer (some say it’s to make sure they work off all that good food)!
Our team also enjoys being together outside of work, whether playing on a kickball team, traveling together, or attending a company cook-out.
We respect everyone here as a “team member” as opposed to merely a paid employee. I know it’s the right thing to do, but the investment has paid off in
higher productivity and profits, stellar customer service, and lower turnover. These benefits have been magnified so much more in today’s challenging economy of low employment and capacity shortages.
Years later, I still appreciate the gift behind my dad’s simple words. He turned our thinking upside down that day, and our team never looked back.
Blessed to be a Blessing,
Greg Syfan
President, Syfan Logistics