March 2019

Continuing Education

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”

The employees of Universal Logistics regularly receive industry training that is paid for by the company.  Employee education and training is of the utmost importance, as it helps with honing skills, gaining a broader perspective and being better prepared to deliver the exemplary service our clients have come to expect.

“You can’t grow your business without growing your people”

Logistics is a constantly evolving and challenging industry, and the ever increasing number of Universal Logistics employees who have completed industry training programs aids in preparing our business for future success.

We are proud to recognize the achievement and success of our latest course and program graduates, who have earned these designations:

• Vincent Kwong (Head Office – Ocean Services) – graduate of the CIFFA Certificate in International Freight Forwarding
• Pardis Molaei (Head Office – Ocean Services) – completed first course of CIFFA Certificate Program – International Transportation and Trade, presently enrolled in second course, Essentials of Freight Forwarding
• Gary Jin (Head Office – Ocean Services) – completed first course of CIFFA Certificate Program – International Transportation and Trade, presently enrolled in second course, Essentials of Freight Forwarding
• Lilija Lautenschlaeger (Head Office – Freight Solutions) – completed first course of CIFFA Certificate Program – International Transportation and Trade
• Kathleen Pope (Head Office – Client Relations) successful completion of the CSCB Customs Introductory Course.

(From left to right) Gary Jin, Pardis Molaei, Lilija Lautenschlaeger, Kathleen Pope & Vincent Kwong

Congratulations Vincent, Pardis, Gary, Lilija and Kathleen!

Expansion of the Information Systems team

It is not a secret – our logistics industry is a very competitive environment where client expectations are changing rapidly.  By embracing technology, we improve our processes and this enables Universal to remain competitive.  It is our goal to not only match our client’s expectations but to exceed them.

On February 1st, Paul Glionna, Vice President – Systems Development & Operations, announced that we had taken a great step forward by investing in the expansion of our Information Systems team.  He was very pleased to introduce 2 new team members who will further support our IT development:

Ms. Ofeera Fatima joined us on February 4, 2019, working at our Head Office, reporting directly to Janice Ilkay.  Ofeera’s email address is ofatima@universallogistics.ca and her phone extension is 301.

Mr. Plato Leung joined us on March 4, 2019.  Plato is also working at our Head Office, reporting directly to Janice Ilkay.  Plato’s email address is pleung@universallogistics.ca and his phone extension is 244.

Janice Ilkay as Manager – Information Systems continues to manage all aspects of our IT systems, from our desktop support to our various operating programs, and has been our general go-to person for all of our IT technical issues.

Specific roles and job responsibilities for Ofeera and Plato will be assigned over the coming months as we develop and structure our new IT team.  We are very excited to be expanding our internal resources in Information Technology to best support our internal operations and, most importantly, our valued client base.

Please welcome Ofeera and Plato to the Universal team.

(From left to right) Janice Ilkay, Plato Leung, Ofeera Fatima & Paul Glionna

Welcome our new Cleveland Manager

	Vickey Ison Office Manager – Cleveland

On February 5, 2019, we took another positive step towards the growth of Universal Logistics USA. Vickey Ison joined the Universal USA team, in the role of Office Manager – Cleveland and is responsible for managing our Cleveland Operations team.  Over that past 10 years, Vickey has worked with other freight forwarders in the Cleveland area and brings a wealth of knowledge in terms of freight operations and new business sales.

Vickey’s immediate focus will be on the Cleveland operation, with her key objectives being improving our internal processes and upselling our existing client base.

Vickey will travel to our Head Office for meetings April 1st to 3rd.  These meetings will give her the opportunity to interact with all our teams.  Once Vickey has gained an understanding of our entire operation and overall company strategies, she will begin to take an active part in Client Relations and Business Development.

On a personal note, Vickey enjoys watching her beloved Cleveland Browns, with a close eye on her favourite player QB Baker Mayfield.  Vickey and her two teenage sons attend every home game.  Her favourite food is steak and lobster, and her favourite music genre is country.

Growing again

In Universal & You, we want to introduce all new employees and since our new fiscal year started December 1st, there have already been a number of new additions.  Besides Ofeera, Plato and Vickey, please also join us in welcoming Kim Maurice and Michael O’Donnell to the team!

Name: Kim Maurice     Team: Customs Operations (Windsor)     Start date: December 10, 2018		Name: Michael O’Donnell    Team: Business Development –               North America (Head Office)    Start date: March 4, 2019

Save the Date – Universal Summer Event – Saturday, June 22nd!!!

We are celebrating Universal’s 70th Anniversary and want to invite everyone from near and far and your families to attend this year’s Summer Event at Bruce’s Mill in Stouffville. 

Bruce’s Mill is a beautiful facility just north of Toronto.

The Events Committee is planning a fun filled afternoon of Food! Games! & Entertainment! – So clear your schedule and come out and have a great time!  Stay tuned for more details!

Mark your calendars – Saturday, June 22nd!

Something’s Brewing

If you are reading this, you are most likely reading it from a computer or an electronic device.  Display screens emit blue light and long exposure to it can damage your health such as increasing the likelihood and severity of visual problems and affecting your sleep.

On average, according to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, how many times does a person blink in a minute when using a computer?

Hint: an average person normally blinks 12 times a minute when NOT looking at the screen.

Click on the question above, submit your answer to Phoebe, and you’re eligible to win! 

Submission deadline
March 22, 2019 (Friday) noon

Prize
$25 Tim Hortons or Starbucks gift card for the winner (If more than one person gets the right answer, we will pick the winning name out of a hat)

Help Desk

We have become so reliant on our computers, that when something goes wrong it is a serious problem.  Of course you want to get your system back up and running as quickly as possible and that is why our “Help Desk” is here whenever you’re faced with computer issues.

The re-introduction of the IT Ticketing Program will ensure everyone receives the IT support they require in a timely fashion.  By following the procedures below, our “Help Desk” will be able to assess and prioritize all requests, which benefits all of us.

“All IT requests should be sent to the email address: tickets@universallogistics.ca with a cc to your manager.  In the event that your email/computer is not working the email should then come from your manager.

All emails will receive a response within two hours, acknowledging receipt of the request.  Once we’ve assessed the problem you will receive another email with an estimated date/ time that the request will be completed.

In your email you should detail what the problem is with as much information as possible in order for us to prioritize your request.  If your email is too general it may not get the appropriate priority.”

Well Delivered. Well Received.

Using proper email and phone etiquette is extremely important in today’s business world.  Each issue, we’d like to provide you with some helpful tips in communicating to be sure our messages are well delivered, well received.

Email Attachments

• Never send large attachments without notice. Always ask what would be the best time to send them.
• Never open an attachment from someone you don’t know or that seems suspicious.  If in doubt forward the email to tickets@universallogistics.ca for confirmation.
• Be sure your virus, adware and spyware programs are up to date and include scanning of your emails and attachments both incoming and outgoing.  Please check with your Manager, who will address this with our IT Team.
• It is better to spread multiple attachments over several emails, rather than attaching them all to one email, to avoid clogging the pipeline.
• Format attachments as PDF when possible.