Suretrack started almost 40 years ago as a humble courier company north of Toronto with three or four employees, tiny office space and “very limited resources”.
The original logo was criticized as being complicated and difficult to understand.
“It had a map (of Ontario) and a truck integrated with the company name,” Chief Operating Officer Paul Bahous recalls. “It was okay but printers told us it was very difficult to reproduce. It worked for us as a courier company but as the company grew and offered more services like warehousing and logistics it was time for a change.”
But with a strong commitment to service and reliability, customers started to take notice. The company quickly signed up new customers and grew larger. Staff moved into larger offices seven times over the last two decades.
Today, the company has more than 200 employees, logging thousands of miles each year all over Canada and the United States. We’ve expanded into warehousing and logistics with a full-service solution for customers. The Internet allows customers to place an order, track exactly where that shipment is at any time and be notified exactly when it’s delivered.
A designer was brought in to do a fresh new logo. It has the company name with a pyramid or mountain that has three parts to reflect the three divisions: courier, warehousing and logistics.
Now here we ‘grow’ again.
The latest move was announced last Friday when company president John Bahous signed a deal for a 200,000 square foot warehouse in suburban Montreal, Quebec. He admitted it was a risk, but compared everything to the 1989 film, Field of Dreams.
“If you build, they will come,” he said, repeating the movie’s catch phrase from actor Kevin Costner. “Part of the reason why our moves go smoothly is the staff. We have a great crew. They always come together and make it work for customers.”
Mr. Bahous said the industry has changed dramatically over the years since Suretrack began. “We went from offering courier services to full logistics covering North America. We’ve adapted and changed with the industry. That’s why I think the big new warehouse in Montreal will be a huge advantage.”
So what’s the next move for the company? At a time when Internet retailer Amazon is experimenting with delivering packages by drones, where is the industry headed?
“It’s like on Star Trek, ‘beam me up, Scotty’,” Mr. Bahous laughed. “There is even talk about driverless trucks, but I think drivers will always be there and have to be paying attention. You can’t replace people in some roles.”
“It’s going to be interesting, though. That’s for sure.”