"Syfan Says" Fall 2018

FOR THE SYFANS, FAMILY IS EVERYTHING IN HOME AND WORK LIFE Says FA L L | 2018 SyfanLogistics.com • Syfan Expansion, Page 2 • Internship, Page 2 • ELD Update, Page 3 • CSM Bakery, Page 3 • Hamilton Harper, Page 4 Inside: The Syfan family today spans five generations that revolve around a highly successful trucking and logistics company of over 250 “extended family” members. And to think it all started four decades ago in a tiny trailer by the side of a train track. In 1984, Jim and Gloria Syfan and their sons Greg and Steve began their family business in Gainesville, Ga., as a third-party transportation broker based in a humble low-rise company headquarters next to the town’s old train depot. They think back on those early days with fondness, but they were not without some challenges. “We were right next to the train tracks near a rail crossing,” Greg says. “So, when a train passed by, our whole office would shake all over. If you happened to be on the phone, we had to put the customer on hold because the train’s horn was so loud.” Greg’s brother Steve adds, “Our office didn’t even have keys. I had to push a window open and climb in.” The Syfans named their original company after a silky terrier pup the family had at the time. They were at home discussing what to call their new company when little Turbo began barking and darting around the living room. Turbo Transport was born. To get the business going, Jim leveraged the property title of his 1967 Ford station wagon and a ring to secure a $6,000 bank line of credit. “We were then – and today – all equal partners,” Jim Syfan says. “From the start, all three of us – me and my two sons – had to agree on every decision. There was compromise, but we were always together.” They built Turbo Transport slowly, gaining business loyalty along the way. Scott Sapp was their first employee and the numbers quickly grew from there. “We called some companies every day for a year before we got a load from them,” Greg remembers. “We built many relationships that we still have today.” A few members of five living generations of the Syfan family. Continued on page 4