Purdue TAP awards free business services to Private Fleet Backhaul as part of Indiana Companies to Watch initiative
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University's Technical Assistance Program is awarding 80 hours of free business services valued at $10,000 to Anderson, Ind.-based Private Fleet Backhaul LLC as part of the 2010 Indiana Companies to Watch initiative.
Purdue officials made the announcement Thursday (Aug. 26) in conjunction with the event honoring the top Indiana Companies to Watch at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis. All the companies except those based in Tippecanoe County, which is home to Purdue's main campus, were eligible to participate in the drawing.
"We're pleased to provide $10,000 worth of TAP faculty and graduate student expertise to Private Fleet Backhaul LLC," TAP director David McKinnis said. "TAP has helped thousands of Indiana companies through Purdue experts in engineering, technology, science, management and agriculture. And we look forward to working with Private Fleet Backhaul to help grow its business and broaden its economic impact."
Private Fleet Backhaul, launched in 2002 and a member of the Indiana Companies to Watch's 2010 class, is a growing third-party logistics company that brings the underutilized backhaul capacity of U.S. private fleets to the marketplace. Led by founder and chief executive Ed Lembcke, the company transported more than 16,000 loads through its 1,000-unit fleet in 2009, generating revenue that placed the company in the top 5 percent of freight brokerages nationwide. Employment at year-end 2009 was 23.
"Private Fleet Backhaul is very honored to be selected to receive the TAP award from Purdue," Lembcke said. "While we have enjoyed exciting growth as an entrepreneurial company, we're positive we have business practices that can be improved, and the opportunity to receive assistance from Purdue is a very welcomed event. Now the real work is choosing the right project."
TAP supports performance improvements at Indiana companies and organizations through various programs and services that utilize faculty, students and staff in 10 statewide offices.
In 2009, Techshot Inc., a Greenville, Ind.-based technology development firm, received the free business services from TAP. Anderson, Ind.-based Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems Ltd., a manufacturer of non-lethal defense technologies for use in combat and law enforcement, won the drawing at the inaugural Indiana Companies to Watch event in 2008.
Indiana Companies to Watch, which is presented by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, its Small Business Development Center network (SBDC), Purdue and the Edward Lowe Foundation, recognizes privately held Indiana businesses that employ six to 150 full-time employees and have between $750,000 to $100 million in annual revenue or working capital.
The initiative was developed by the Cassopolis, Mich.-based Edward Lowe Foundation, which hosts similar Companies to Watch programs in Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, North Carolina, Mississippi and Wisconsin.
Writer: Phillip Fiorini, 765-496-3133, pfiorini@purdue.edu
Sources: David McKinnis, 765-494-9189, mckinnis@purdue.edu
Ed Lembcke, 765-644-1550, elembcke@privatefleetbackhaul.com
Related Web site:
Discovery Park