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(LOMBARD, IL) As part of an aggressive growth strategy to double in size over the next 24 months, Circle 8 Logistics, a provider of third-party transportation management services nationwide, announced that it has moved its corporate headquarters to new, state-of-the-art facilities in Lombard, IL.

Circle 8 plans to increase its staff by 65% over the next six months, according to Mike Lewis, president of sales. “We’ve challenged ourselves to double the size of our customer base over the next 24 to 36 months,” Lewis said. “To achieve that, we needed to upgrade our sales and training areas, and create room to grow.”

Located in the western suburbs of Chicago, the new 7500 sq./ft. offices feature a dedicated classroom for training and on-boarding new sales associates. The main brokerage floor — where the Circle 8 staff buys and sells freight and shipping services for customers and carriers — is also integrated into a break area dominated by leather easy chairs and a wall full of flat screen TVs. The latest news from the worlds of business, financial markets and sports flash continuously.

“At Circle 8, we believe that your personal life is actually the most important thing about your job,” Lewis explained. “So if you have a good time at work, your personal life will probably be better outside, which means you’ll probably want to come into work and work harder.”

Lewis’ partner and president of operations, Ryan Phillips, added that the “fun” vibe and camaraderie fostered by the floor plan is felt by their customers. “There’s a distinct difference between doing business with Circle 8 and other freight brokerages,” Phillips explained. “We like to think we have more fun, day in and day out, than the other guys. And that shows up in our relationships with our customers.

“But it goes beyond that,” Phillips added. “We operate on a very high ethical basis that’s cornerstoned by being open and honest. In every transaction, every situation. We make their world — the customers’ experience when they do business with Circle 8 — very clear, very black and white. And they like that clarity, that honesty.”

The company’s performance during its first decade in business bears out that claim. Circle 8 has grown, on average, by double digits, year over year, for each of its first ten years, while maintaining margins and profits, and retaining customers and employees. That includes the past three years of economic turmoil. Last year, gross sales were up 30 percent. By the end of 2011, personnel growth will have increased 100 percent over the past 18 months.

“With our new facility, we’re pushing even harder to broaden our base of customers and industries served,” Lewis added. “It’s going to be interesting to see how we do, especially in relatively better economic conditions than we’ve all experienced over the past few years.”

Circle 8 Logistics (www.circle8logistics.com) is a non-asset-based third-party logistics and transportation services company that provides multi-modal transportation and logistics services throughout North America. Privately held, the company focuses on employee retention, honesty and efficiency to create a streamlined environment to better partner with its customers and carriers. For more information, contact Steve Dickman, vice president of sales and marketing, at 800-518-4287, or at sdickman@circle8logistics.com.

Happy runners last year

Circle 8 Logistics Quinquennial (yes, I had to look it up)

Run, Gobble, Sleep

Turkey Day 5K

November 25^th, 2010

St. Charles, IL 8:00am

For 5 years now, many of you have joined us on a variety of Thanksgiving mornings (8 degrees and snow, 55 degrees and sunny, 25 degrees and raining, etc) to run, walk, bike and skate your way up and down the Fox River.  We would once again like to invite each of you, your families and friends to the 5^th Annual running of the Circle 8 Logistics Turkey Day 5K.

Please join us on Thursday morning 11/25 at Mount St. Mary’s Park in St. Charles, IL (same location as last year.)  The park is ½ mile south of Downtown St. Charles on the west side of the Fox River.

Currently, the park is going through some renovations (no doubt the county board has decided to build a monument and facility worthy of hosting such an event.)  Thus, we may have to improvise a bit on the location of the pre and post-race activities, but you can expect the same quality event and smiling faces that you have seen in the past.  Circle 8 will provide a well marked race course (feel free to walk, bike, skate or otherwise propel yourself, your kids, your mother-in-law, your dog, etc around the 3.1 mile course), refreshments, awards, a fun family atmosphere and the justification to have seconds and even thirds at your Thanksgiving feast later that day.

Last year’s event (despite some early rain) hosted nearly 100 runners/walkers/bikers/rollerbladers of all ages and I think I am safe in saying that everyone had a great time.  We look forward to seeing you in just a few weeks.

The format for this run will be as follows:

7:30am – Registration (basically we will make sure all of our runners are accounted for)

7:45am – Pre-race meeting, including a welcome, review of the rules and official course.

8am – Start of the Race

8:20am-8:45am – Conclusion of the Race

8:45am – Post Race celebration, including a “tailgate style” breakfast of Turkey, Donuts, Bagels, Juice and Beer.

Last year we collected shoes for “soles for souls” and we will be doing that again this year, so please bring any shoes you have to donate to those less fortunate.

We will also be taking a group photo at the end of the race this year, so please plan to hang around the finish line at least until all participants have finished.

Please respond to this email if you plan to Run…..and Gobble.  Also, please feel free to bring along any family or friends that may be in town as Participants or Volunteers or Hecklers!!