SALT LAKE CITY (September 14, 2016) – Unishippers Global Logistics, LLC announced today that CEO Dan Lockwood has made the decision to transition into a newly created role as Executive Chairman. Current President Kevin Lathrop will be promoted to CEO & President of the third-party logistics company.
Lockwood first assumed a senior executive leadership position in 2002 as Unishippers’ Chief Products Officer, prior to serving as President and then CEO for the past 10 years. In his new position as Executive Chairman, Lockwood will focus on the company’s strategic growth initiatives as well as carrier relationships and development.
“The last 25 years as a multi-unit franchisee and senior executive at Unishippers have been extremely rewarding,” said Lockwood. “I am excited and enthusiastic about the future of the company and look forward to continuing to drive the company’s growth in my new strategic role. Unishippers could not be in better hands than with Kevin Lathrop at the helm as President and CEO.”
Lathrop began his tenure as President in January 2011 and prior to that served as Chief Technology Officer from 1999-2011. Through his various executive roles, Lathrop has developed a proven track record as a successful leader, entrepreneur and strategic thinker while guiding the company through a period of rapid growth as well as product and service expansions.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity that Unishippers has given me,” said Lathrop, who purchased his first Unishippers franchise in Orange County, Calif. in 1992. “As we approach our 30-year anniversary next year, it’s amazing to think about how quickly the industry has changed from its early days. One thing that has remained constant however, is Unishippers’ legacy of leadership and the company’s drive to dominate the market with our technology, customer service and product offerings developed especially for the small to mid-sized business shipper.”
Lathrop added, “Dan and I followed similar paths to the executive team and we’ve become close friends. His leadership has been invaluable to our employees and franchisees, and all are happy to know that Unishippers will continue to benefit from his expertise.”
Rounding out the Unishippers executive team is Executive VP and COO Steve Leavitt; CFO Robert Rodgers; EVP, Freight Operations, Tim Story; VP, Controller, Dennis Heaps; VP, Technology, Alan Humpherys; and Senior Director, Franchise Operations, Alison Smith. Together, with the help of an amazing team of franchisees and their staff, Unishippers sold 20 franchises to new owners in 2015 and achieved revenue of more than $450 million.
About Unishippers
Unishippers Global Logistics (“Unishippers” or the “Company”) is a leading provider of third party logistics services to over 50,000 small and medium-sized businesses through a network of nearly 300 franchise locations and affiliate outlets. The Company offers small package and heavy freight services, including LTL, FTL and air freight through UPS®, Saia®, Estes®, YRC Freight and UPS Freight® and other major carriers to manage the pickup, transport and delivery of customers’ shipments. The franchisees leverage the scale of the combined network to offer customers attractive shipping rates and are committed to providing best in class service. Unishippers’ strategy has resulted in significant growth year after year, and the Company has been recognized as a top freight broker by Transport Topics and a top franchise by Entrepreneur, Franchise Times and the Inc. 5000. The Company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. For information on Unishippers, including information on franchising opportunities and price quotes, visit: www.unishippers.com.
