Past Winner Stories
ProTrans International
www.protransintl.com
"Fortunately, my employer did not share my vision."
One of the best days in Craig Roeder's life was the day his boss said no. In the early 1990s, Roeder was working for a freight transportation company when he identified an unfilled niche in the industry. He recommended that his then employer consolidate customers' raw material freight destined for the same geographic region.
Says Roeder, "Knowing that many businesses could benefit from this service, I decided to branch off on my own."
Roeder identified a key route between the Midwest and the Mexican border in El Paso, Texas, where a large percentage of materials were carried. Rather than invest in expensive trucking equipment, the company contracted with existing haulers and concentrated its efforts on what Roeder felt he did best: managing the transport.
By filling a void in the market, ProTrans International Inc. found fast success. Within one year, the company turned a profit and today has routes coast to coast, with plans for expansion to the Caribbean and South America.
Roeder hasn't given up on finding niches and filling them. Recently, when ProTrans could not find the kind of detailed software it needed, the company hired four full-time programmers to develop it for the company and will soon make tracking software available to customers.
One of the best days in Craig Roeder's life was the day his boss said no. In the early 1990s, Roeder was working for a freight transportation company when he identified an unfilled niche in the industry. He recommended that his then employer consolidate customers' raw material freight destined for the same geographic region.
Says Roeder, "Knowing that many businesses could benefit from this service, I decided to branch off on my own."
Roeder identified a key route between the Midwest and the Mexican border in El Paso, Texas, where a large percentage of materials were carried. Rather than invest in expensive trucking equipment, the company contracted with existing haulers and concentrated its efforts on what Roeder felt he did best: managing the transport.
By filling a void in the market, ProTrans International Inc. found fast success. Within one year, the company turned a profit and today has routes coast to coast, with plans for expansion to the Caribbean and South America.
Roeder hasn't given up on finding niches and filling them. Recently, when ProTrans could not find the kind of detailed software it needed, the company hired four full-time programmers to develop it for the company and will soon make tracking software available to customers.