January 2005 - National Freight received the 2004 Outstanding Program Development Award for: significant growth capacity towards Lowe's, continued service commitment and construction of a Team dedicated to the Lowe's business. The award was presented by the Lowe's Transportation Department at the Company's Annual Carrier conference held in North Wilkesboro, NC.
NFI experienced a 24% increase in volume during 2004 by handling approximately 35,585 truckload of outbound and inbound freight for Lowe's. Special recognition goes to David Guinyard for coordinating shipments west of the Mississippi. He has also been instrumental in the Dedicated Fleet start-ups in Kissimmee, FL and Plainfield, CT. Jessica Tole also deserves recognition for coordinating Lowe's shipments east of the Mississippi where vendor volume has grown significantly. Steve Brannon - Mt. Vernon, TX and Connie McGarian - Kissimmee, FL should also be acknowledged for their efforts. Dee Todd - Customer Service Manager in the Southeast/Florida has been successful in handling and coordinating emergency shipments for Lowe's. John Taylor, a member of our sales team, has had a significant impact in identifying opportunities and coordinating all aspects of NFI and Lowe's.
As NFI increases our density and volumes in the Northeast market during 2005, we hope to add many more NFI employees to the recognition list next year. Lowe's anticipates double digit growth in 2005 and expect sales to reach $42 billion. Lowe's is a great partner and NFI is a major part of their growth plans.