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Alumni and Busin
Photo: Coyote Logistics Bronco employees at Coyote Logistics.
Coyote Logistics—A Company to Watch Every product has been on a truck or train at some point—your computer, your phone, the bed you sleep in, the food you eat. Coyote Logistics specializes in how those products get to where they need to be. A third-party logistics company, Coyote coordinates the movement of massive amounts of freight. The company’s promise to get the job done with “No Excuses” has made it the fastest-growing logistics company in the U.S. • In 2012, Coyote was #1 on Crain’s Chicago Fast Fifty List of the fastest growing companies. • The firm was voted the #1 Top Workplace in the midsize category by the Chicago Tribune for the second year in a row. • Coyote was awarded a Chicago Innovation Award for its private fleet service. • In 2013, Coyote was ranked #8 on the
Alumni and Businesses to Watch
National Top Workplaces list and #26 on the Forbes list of America’s Most Promising Companies. When Coyote needs talent and is looking for graduates who can get the job done right with “No Excuses,” one of its core recruiting schools is WMU’s Haworth College of Business. “Western Michigan University students have an incredible drive that is obvious when they walk through the door at Coyote,” says chief people officer and cofounder Marianne Silver. “They take pride in their work and in their team’s success. They are self-starters who want the best for everyone around them, which is what makes them flourish at Coyote.” WMU graduates hold positions in operations, sales, management, HR, pricing and analytics, and IT. “The quality of students at WMU is exceptional,” says Colleen Brenner, manager of recruiting. “The students’ real-life business experience leads to strong skill sets, helping graduates
to be immediately successful at Coyote. We are lucky to have established a mutually beneficial relationship with both the career center and college of business professors, allowing us to find the best and the brightest.” Coyote employee Rodney Gravitter, B.B.A.’10, was recruited through WMU’s Career Fair. Starting as a national account manager, he was among the first 10 reps on a new refrigerated team, working solely on temperature-controlled freight. He worked hard and quickly made a name for himself, mastering the refrigerated market and contributing his skills to benefit all customer teams, not just refrigerated-specific teams. After 14 months, Gravitter became a carrier capacity manager, working as a liaison between the customer and carrier sides of the business. His role helps provide solutions and works to help both parties see eye-to-eye on different situations. His expertise in sales and the capacity