TIA Honors Five for Industry Contribution
LAS VEGAS — The Transportation Intermediaries Association honored five people for their contributions to transportation and logistics and the larger community at its conference on April 7.
Jimmy DeMatteis, president of Des Moines Truck Brokers, won the Heritage Award for his work and dedication to the TIA. Des Moines Truck Brokers ranks No. 100 on the Transport Topics sector list of the top freight brokerage firms in the United States and Canada.
DeMatteis chaired the association's political action committee from 2011-15 and serves on the board of directors. DeMatteis and his father have been in the industry for nearly 50 years and are among the long-serving association members.
DeMatteis credited current TIA president Bob Voltmann for the group's strength today.
"Twenty years ago, Bob brought in a staff and his staff has just gotten better and better. Ten years ago, I was honored to be put on the board and we've had tremendous leadership. We have a lot of challenges ahead, but I believe we will prevail. We're like-minded people working together to make the industry better," DeMatteis said.
Voltmann received an award for his 20 years of service at the association. England Logistics president Jason Beardall and Tucker Co. Worldwide CEO Jeff Tucker presented Voltmann with a crystal decanter.
"Bob's stamp is all over the place and you've helped to lead what we've become today and where we'll be going in the future," Beardall said.
Andra Rush won the 2017 Distinguished Women in Logistics award. Rush is the CEO of Rush Trucking Corp., Dakkota Integrated Systems and Detroit Manufacturing Systems. Former President Barack Obama acknowledged Rush during his 2014 State of the Union address for creating manufacturing jobs in Detroit. According to her biography, her companies have won supplier of the year awards from Chrysler and General Motors and she serves on the supplier council at Chrysler and Ford Motors.
"Andra is my sister, my mentor and my friend. Everyone knows she has a heart of gold, but she's also tough as nails as well," Lori Rush said, accepting the award on her behalf.
The other finalists were International Express Trucking CEO Karen Duff and Legion Logistics founder and president Lacy Starling.
Logistics Planning Services, which won the 2017 TIA 3PL Samaritan Award, is a family-owned business. LPS hosted a 5k run and 2k walk during the association's conference with proceeds donated to the TIA Foundation and the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.
"It's all about family, it's all about giving. It's not just monetary, it's about the time you spend giving back to the community," said Chief Financial Officer Mike Westland. "Pam Hall, who is the chair of the board at LPS, is down in Jamaica right now. Not for fun and sun. She's delivering a container full of bicycles to the impoverished in Jamaica, not the ones sitting in the cabanas doing the fun stuff."
The 3PL also hosts an annual "LPS for Vets" golf tournament. The proceeds from the event are donated to the University of Minnesota Brain Sciences Center, which studies post-traumatic stress disorder.
