We recently connected with Julia Macaluso and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Julia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
When my husband Nick and I sat down to brainstorm potential names for a freight forwarding company, we knew we needed something original and memorable…creative and unique. The name of our company needed to be like a “first handshake”…it says a lot about a person and makes a powerful impression. We wanted to make sure it was a GR8 representation of what we stood for with a focus on GR8 Customer Service. It needed to be something that would attract attention and distinguish us from hundreds of competitors. My husband had been in the industry for years and even had a license plate that said FR8 Guy, so we kept trying to put something clever together using the FR8 piece. We both agreed that it was possible to have a successful business with competitive pricing and still take great care of our customers and their freight. The ex- kindergarten teacher in me lit up like a light bulb and the name GR8FR8 Logistics (pronounced “Great Freight”) followed suite!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
It doesn’t surprise many people when they learn I was a kindergarten teacher in my past life. Rarely will you just get a business card from me…there is typically something clever and creative to go along with it that brings me back to those teaching days.
Knowing nothing about logistics or supply chain, but having lost my Dad to H1N1 in 2014, I stepped out of my comfort zone, quit teaching and started down a different journey in life. Fortunately, my husband Nick, had been in the industry for years and we quickly found that together-with our passion for people, his experience, and my creative side-we could do GR8 things!
GR8FR8 Logistics is not only a freight forwarder – but also a licensed truckload broker, and 3PL – most forwarders don’t offer all services in house like we do.
We specialize in the special – Ocean / Air / Projects / Tricky shipments that most people wouldn’t understand or know where to begin. (We even ship bees!)
We provide our services to anyone who needs to get raw materials-Domestically or Internationally or needs to ship out the final products. From Aerospace to Electronics, Semi Conductor to Retail-No matter the industry or what you manufacture-“You can rest assured, we’ll take GR8 Care of Your FR8!”
We are most proud of our staff and their dedication to supporting the customer, which ultimately will support GR8FR8. Their success is our success and we consider ourselves to be an extension of their team. By taking care of the customer, the customer will in turn take care of the company. Bigger companies are focusing more on the Large customer, which has high volume. We work with the Large, the Medium, and the Small with hopes that the Smalls will become Medium sized, and the Mediums will become Large some day, and we will have gotten to be a part of that ride with them.
How’d you meet your business partner?
The year was 1992 and I was a freshman at Rincon High School in Tucson, Arizona. As a naïve people pleaser who wanted to be friends with everyone, I learned quickly that most girls could be mean and untrustworthy. I tended to have a lot of guy friends and confided in them and spent time with them on a regular basis. Little did I know that one in particular would one day become my husband and business partner for life. Nick Macaluso was a year older than me…I remember his smile and the way he treated others. He was caring and kind, witty and handsome. We never dated-although to this day he insists he regrets not asking me to prom-but kept in communication over the years-even after high school. We both married other people and started families young…and both went through divorces not knowing that the universe would one day reconnect us. Fast forward to 2012 and we had our first “official date!” Seven years later, we took a leap of faith and started GR8FR8. I count my blessings everyday to get to work with my soul mate and best friend. I am in awe of his knowledge of the industry and his skills as our CFO. I absolutely love building this business with him and look forward to what the future holds personally and professionally.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Relationships built on trust and integrity, active communication and GR8 customer service has helped build our reputation in the market. It’s not always about pricing, but making sure we are staying fair and honest-checking the market daily-and offering competitive pricing gives our partners peace of mind that we are taking GR8 care of them across the board.
It is crucial to MAKE the time to get to know who you are working with. Ask questions that are non-work related and truly get to know people. Listen for understanding when it comes to hiccups and challenges on the shipping side of the house and strategically provide individualized solutions. I love that our entire team takes the time to listen and even form friendships with customers and vendors that will last a lifetime.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gr8fr8logistics.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/GR8FR8Logistics/100063667443984/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gr8fr8-logistics-llc/
Image Credits
Christine Lowell Photography