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A Day in the Life Of... Unishippers Shipping |
 Unishippers Shipping Franchise Feature
David Gaines has been a franchisee for only four years, but he and his partners now own one of the largest geographical areas of franchises in Unishippers. Encompassing Greensboro, Louisville, Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Washington, D.C., this wide territory brings with it both advantages and challenges, according to David.
“The obvious challenge is the frequent pace of travel,” says David, “usually about eight days a month.” Another challenge is maintaining an active presence in all of the sales offices and markets, not to mention constant communication between him and his management teams. David says he’s also constantly hiring, training and developing people through Unishippers’ 12-week training program.
On the other hand, a large territory has the benefit of an endless stream of geographical opportunities and an enormous customer base into which the company can tap. David says they can also leverage resources in areas such as administrative operations, which he outsources to Gulf Coast Shippers in New Orleans.
David’s path to Unishippers began in 2003, when he and his partners invested in the Florida franchises they own today. Shortly thereafter he expanded their territory to include Greensboro and Louisville. In 2005 he merged with the D.C. group and Janine Ahlstedt, his current business partner, who assumed the position of VP of Sales for all their franchises.
The sales organization looks for customers that are going to have a long life cycle, thereby driving reoccurring revenue streams. “That’s what drives our district managers and sales reps,” says David. “The management team is actively engaged in the coaching and development of our shipping consultants. My goal is to get them on a pathway of success as early as possible so they see the career possibilities within Unishippers early on.”
After graduating from Louisiana State University with a business degree, David spent time working in Boston, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., working in sales and marketing management positions with Boston Scientific and EMC Corporation. He and his wife, Millie, met after college in New Orleans, introduced to each other through a family friend. They have three children — David, 10, Olivia, 5, and Adelaide, 4. In addition to coaching his son’s baseball and soccer teams, David has been an avid marathon runner for the past eight years. David has run a marathon per year for the last six years, including the New York City Marathon, the Chicago Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. He’s also a wine collector and enjoys golf.
Within Unishippers, David chairs the Shared Account Committee and serves on the President’s Advisory Council (PAC), appointed by Dan Lockwood, president of Unishippers. The PAC meets quarterly and at convention, and participates in monthly conference calls. According to David, the PAC’s mission is to assist Dan and the executive team in developing and executing strategic initiatives for the company.
As a Unishippers franchisee, David says one of its greatest benefits is having a very entrepreneurial culture in which you receive significant support and guidance from the franchisor, while having the freedom to manage your business independently. “I’m excited about the overall entrepreneurial opportunity that exists in running a large franchise company,” says David. “With 32 sales territories, there’s a new challenge each and every day, whether it’s freight in Kentucky or international shipping in Florida. Because of that, the business stays fresh every day.”
David says his key to success is establishing business plans and then empowering his management team to execute them. “I also focus on making sure that my staff is successful both personally and professionally. If they’re successful, we’ll be successful as a company. My motivation is to create a company culture where hard work pays, and the more you sell, the more you make.”
Balancing work and family is always first and foremost in David’s mind. “I’m always mindful to make sure that my personal and professional priorities are in check — and that I’m balancing my lifestyle between time with my family, exercising and running our company. David’s business philosophy is simple — Stay focused, celebrate success and learn from failure |
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