In 2024, Universal Logistics proudly celebrated a remarkable milestone – our 75-Year Anniversary. To mark this special occasion, company owners, Michael, David, Mark and Paul Glionna invited all Universal employees and their guests to a gala celebratory event at the One King West hotel in Downtown Toronto on Saturday, December 14th.
The party’s 165 attendees experienced an unforgettable evening, including great food, entertainment and speeches honouring shared achievements and recognizing the dedication, passion, and hard work of our employees that have contributed to the longstanding success of Universal Logistics.
The event featured an international theme in keeping with the incredible cultural diversity of Universal’s employee group, where over 20 countries and more than 25 spoken languages are represented.
In addressing the party-goers, President Michael Glionna proposed a toast to his predecessors who founded the company, laid a strong foundation and built a well-respected reputation from which to grow the business. “Please raise a glass to Grandad and Dad, Frank Glionna Sr. and Frank Glionna Jr., who set the example and instilled in us our company values. They started the business, and grew the business, and paved the way for us to flourish for all these years. Here’s to the Franks!”
Universal Logistics was founded in 1949 when Frank Glionna Sr. left his job as a manager at railcar company, Universal Consolidated Car, to forge his own legacy. Initially only focused on Canadian customs brokerage, it didn’t take long for Universal Customs Brokers Limited to become a recognized and trusted logistics partner.
In 1957, the next generation (Frank Glionna Jr.) took over and began modernizing our approach to client care. By putting our clients first, providing excellent service, and prioritizing long-term business relationships, the company’s core values – trust, reliability, integrity – were established.
In 1969, international freight forwarding services were introduced by the company, while warehousing and distribution services were added in 1998. At Universal’s 50-Year anniversary celebration in 1999, our current company name, Universal Logistics Inc., and logo were unveiled to recognize the full logistics service offering of the business. And, in 2010, Universal Logistics USA was launched, expanding into US brokerage and US freight services to complement our Canadian operations.
Over the past 30 years, Universal Logistics has been run by the third generation of the family business, brothers Michael, David, Mark, and Paul Glionna. They remain committed to providing the latest logistics services while honouring the traditional, client-oriented values that make our company unique, and… 75 Years Proud!
