S P O N S O R E D C O N T E N T
Two Generations With a Drive to Serve, Grow and Innovate
W hen Dave Cox (pictured) joined Polaris Transportation Group in 1998, the trucking company was still finding its footing. Founded four years earlier by his parents, Larry and Geri Cox, Polaris had just four employees with
assembling a team of innovative, passionate experts, and encouraging open, honest communication. This is how Polaris evolved as a family business and put us on the road to prosperity and future success.” CUSTOMER-CENTRIC FOCUS CONTINUES Polaris has received a host of accolades for its service and innovation, including four consecutive years named as a top 100 Trucker by Inbound Logistics , 14 years in a row as the Shipper’s Choice for LTL while holding the Carrier of Choice designation since 2012 by Inside Logistics , CCJ’s 2020 Innovator of the Year award, and the Mastio Quality Award in the Canadian LTL category. In 2019 Polaris opened their in-house digital lab and created a technology company, NorthStar Digital Solutions, to develop and integrate robotics, artificial intelligence, and other technologies that would not only elevate Polaris’ way of doing business but improve industry-wide processes. “We’ve taken our old processes and are focusing on advanced technologies, automation, and digitalization,” Dave says. “This has been for our customers, partners, and employees.” The customer-centric approach that sparked Polaris’ beginning is shared by every team member in the company today.
technology. We understood the importance of customer service and leveraging innovation and technology from the get-go.” Larry and Geri Cox started Polaris on the strength of their respective backgrounds in transportation—Larry in operations and Geri in finance.
Dave worked for a large trucking firm before joining his parents at Polaris.
Dave’s addition—and only one was not a family member. However, the Ontario- based company already had something invaluable: a reputation for reliability within the industry. “Larry and Geri were entrepreneurs who paid attention to details and made their clients feel like the center of attention,” Dave says. “To this day, that has never changed.” From its humble origins to its status today as the largest privately held LTL carrier in Canada, Polaris has embraced a customer-centric approach, working tirelessly to build loyalty and deliver exceptional customer experiences. As the company has grown to more than 300 employees and the management reins have passed to Dave, Polaris has held closely to its roots while taking bold steps forward, including becoming an industry leader in identifying and integrating impactful technological innovations. STRONG ROOTS, CONTINUED GROWTH “For me, valuable lessons were learned very early on as a small business owner,” Dave says. “It was a case of starting a company with virtually no money, but everything earned was reinvested back into the business. That meant investing in good people, equipment, and
As operations manager, Dave spearheaded the company’s first
major service expansion when Polaris implemented cross-border LTL between Toronto and major U.S. cities. Today, Polaris remains well-known in the industry for its overnight next-day delivery service. When Larry passed away in 2017, Dave took over as president. Dave’s history of working side by side with his parents and their shared morals and vision kept the company on course. The company has continued to grow and evolve, expanding its services to become a single-source supply chain provider and to offer customers a full suite of services that includes global logistics and warehousing and distribution. Throughout its growth, Polaris’ success can be traced back to their founders’ principles. “From the beginning, we were driven to serve, grow, and innovate. Dave shares that same drive and vision,” says Geri Cox, co-founder. “The family drove the company’s exponential growth through strategic investments, a strong commitment to our customers,
“Everyone here plays a big role in our customers’ success,” Dave says. “Treating
our customers the right way is what allows us to do everything we do as a company.”
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24 Inbound Logistics • April 2022
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