The Last Word

Hitching up to a new tagline

Get used to seeing this new tagline from suspension maker Hendrickson: The World Rides On Us. It will be gradually phased in for all Hendrickson's worldwide operations, culminating in a big media blitz at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville in March.

The new slogan not only reflects the spirit of the brand but the 95-year legacy of engineering advancements and manufacturing excellence behind it, the foundation for Hendrickson's “continuing commitment to the industry,” says Baine Adams, vp of global sales and marketing. “Read literally, the tagline represents the millions of Hendrickson suspensions carrying freight on highways around the globe today.”

So, what might The World Rides On Us translate to elsewhere? In France, it'd probably be written as “Le Monde Va Sur Nous,” while in Germany it might be “Die Welt Reitet Auf Uns.” In Spain, however, it'll be a bit of a mouthful: “El Mundo Monta a Caballo en Nosotros.”

That's a big 4-0

Kinedyne Corp., which supplies cargo control products, is marking its 40th anniversary this year — having grown from a single facility in central New Jersey with two employees to an international firm operating in four countries.

Kinedyne, founded by Jim Klausmann in August of 1968, remains a family-driven business after four decades. “Our company's story is one of steady, measured expansion — to the point where we now have locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China,” says James Klausmann II, exec. vp and son of the founder.

Klausmann notes that Kinedyne's capabilities as a vertically integrated manufacturer include synthetic web production, roll forming and fabrication of strap assemblies. Kinedyne Corp. is also now the parent company for a worldwide operations group including Kinedyne Canada Ltd. (Canada), Kinedyne Ltd. (China) and an affiliation with Sistemas Kinedyne SA (Mexico), with a dealer network that stretches to almost every continent. “We know the cargo control needs of our customers as well as anyone and when a need arises or a new technology is required, we respond,” he remarks.

A trucker's tribute

Lou Esposito is not your average truck driver — nor is his “Trucker's Tribute” your average big rig. An owner-operator with 36 years behind the wheel, Esposito was spending long hours helping remove the debris of the World Trade Center after the 9/11 attacks when his own personal moment of terror struck. A piece of steel rebar fell off directly onto his head, pinning him to the ground with such force that a welding crew was needed to cut him free. He suffered a severe stroke from the injury, which left him unable to walk or speak for a year.

Despite his own long road to recovery, Esposito wanted to create a personal tribute to the heroes and victims of 9/11. So, he drove his truck out to California where an artist spent a month depicting the events of that awful day on the cab — using special 3-D paint to make ghostly images of the Twin Towers appear then disappear depending on the angle at which the truck is viewed. Every single one of the 9/11 victims is listed alphabetically on one side of Lou's truck cab, with the top of the hood emblazoned with the images of New York City firefighters.

Michelin earns salute

The U.S. military's Defense Supply Center Columbus recently awarded two divisions of Michelin North America — Michelin Americas Truck Tires and Michelin Aircraft Tire Co. — with “Best Value Medal” silver awards, given to companies that demonstrate exceptional quality and delivery performance as measured by the Automated Best Value System.