CEO Celebrates 15 years!
James Becker – Question and Answer

James Becker founded Becker Logistics on May 16th, 1997; in 15 years Becker Logistics is now a mid-sized competitive 3PL business. James is very involved within the logistics community. He sits on the Executive Advisory Council for McLeod Software. This council invites only a select few to create ideas and discuss enhancements for their transportation software. James has also spoken at McLeod’s Users conference and continues to show up on their web cases.
James has spoken nationally for other conventions and businesses on leadership, and growth within an organization. James’ latest article is on ‘How to Protect your Small Business from Hackers’ which was featured in March’s TIA publication.
We sat down with James to ask a few questions:
After 15 years as CEO of your own company, what have you learned? How have you grown?
As the CEO of Becker Logistics – speaking as a father and watching my child grow- I can say I had to develop myself as a multi-dimensional driven leader because of all the areas I am responsible for in my business. There are situations where I have found myself unfamiliar with how to proceed; in these instances I seek council and knowledge from another party. This is something that develops day after day; it is all about the journey. I started the transformation with myself, then my family and friends, then my company, and now working on my community in my neighborhood and the logistics world. If you were to ask me to sum up these changes into one sentence, I would say ‘I’m enrolling others into future possibilities’.
Looking over the past 15 years, what struggles and accomplishments have put you where you are today?
I have learned to be resilient. I have gone through 2 economic recessions; I have watched while other companies around us have gone bankrupt. I have dealt with employees embezzling from my company and lost or stolen trailers. I’ve had to deal with the death of an employee. Above all else I have had to deal with the loss of my first-born daughter Jenna when she was only 2 years old. It might be a cliché, but I have learned ‘it’s not the destination it’s the journey’.
My accomplishment is providing my employees with a career: it is such a blessing that I have been provided with the tools to do so. Assisting over 600 customers with their freight needs is something that provides me with fulfillment. For example: Becker Logistics has shipped most of the steel for the new Yankee Stadium; I can’t wait to go see a game there. Most of all, I am proud to be able to celebrate a 15th year of being in business.
As a small to mid-size business, what obstacles have you faced during this recent recession?
The biggest obstacle we have faced is passing up qualified applicants due to limited job positions. I’ve had to pick from a pool of 100 qualified applicants with experience and 100 great qualified logistics/business managers. Then I’ve only been able to pick 5 from each category to interview, and then only been able to hire 3 of them. That is always hard; I wish I could hire more people. Other than that our leadership, management, and employees have really done a great job. Our success is truly because of them. For the most part the recession hasn’t hit our company; we have yet to lay off any employees due to financial insecurity.
What’s the success of Becker Logistics in the past few years?
In 2009 we grew 33.4% and in 2010 we grew 27.4 %. Finally in 2011 we grew 25%, so we had a great few years. The problems change as we grow: they take on a new personality.
What is one important tip you would give someone who is just starting a business today?
The most important thing is to start with an end in mind. Live and end everything with 100% integrity and if you fall out of integrity correct it immediately. Everything else will come together, God willing!
What is the key to your company’s success through the past 15 years?
Culture- When I started the company I always considered how I would want to be treated as an employee. I remember working for other companies and complaining about management owners and thought how I would do things differently. I try to stop and look at the company from the employee’s point of view.
What led you to decide to start your own company?
As silly as this sounds, I started my company to prove my Mom wrong. It has taken me over 10 years to figure that one out; I remember exactly when my mom told me that I wouldn’t amount to anything. That really stuck with me. I wanted to prove that I would make something of myself. The moment where I had nothing is where my life was transformed and I was able to see things for their true meaning with no added noise attached to it. I let the hang ups or things that didn’t really matter go and I found a place of ‘self-actualization.’ This is where I started living my life for myself, my wife and my daughter. They became my purpose. Life has a whole new look to it and I’m playing a bigger game and doing things that matter and make a difference; I’m not proving anything to anyone anymore. I strive to be authentic in every part of my life. I am now living to leave a legacy in my wake, I’m conscious of my role in this world and living with an end in mind. I choose to lift others up and inspire them for excellence. I have purpose in this world and it is larger than myself, this is what drives me forward. I will leave this world better than I found it and hopefully this company will continue to do great things.
James loves his family! His faith and his family are most important to him. James and his wife Laurie reside in Chicago, IL with their 2 year old daughter Sydnie.


