North Atlantic Logistics

his own way. “We never really advertised anywhere,” he says. “Rob and I were not a big proponent of putting something in the paper and letting somebody call us.We always went and approached our customers directly and sold them on what we were capable of.We’re not the cheapest com- pany out there; we’re not the most expensive. But,we’re all about customer service.And everybody that we approach,we choose to say,‘We’d be a good fit for your company,’ instead of a company randomly choosing us.We go after companies that want to focus on their own business and not worry about the ‘cheapest option.’We customize our approach to what our customers’ needs are and we dedicate individual account managers to each company, so it’s like a person working inside that company for them.And when they use North Atlantic and the trust is there, they know that we’re going to do all the pen- ny-pinching on their behalf, because that’s our job.” Mestroni says that a large part of his business revolves around the trans- portation of intermodal rail containers–and it’s where his company’s brand NORTH ATLANTIC INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS of customer service shines.“We have a team that looks after rail, and someone can call us 24/7,”he claims.“There’s actually someone speaking to them on the phone. I hate answering machines; I do not have them in our company; I want someone to reach a live person at all times.” And, at North Atlantic International Logistics, that live person is almost al- ways a woman.“We’re predominantly a female company,”Mestroni states.“And we did that because transportation’s transportation; you’re not going to rein- vent the wheel, but you can make it a smoother ride.All we’re doing all day is negotiating transport rates with various transportation companies–how much is it going to cost to go fromA to B? We specifically hired a lot of fe- males for our company because it’s a male-dominated industry, and by hiring predominantly female employees it creates a friendlier environment.We train our ladies to be master negotiators, and, when they’re talking money, there isn’t as much confrontation with the transportation companies we nego- tiate with to move our customer’s freight.With men, you always have your ROB BIRCH AND ANTHONY MESTRONI