The Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) has named Paul R. Bergant, the winner of the 2012 IANA Silver Kingpin Award. Bergant, the retired president of Intermodal, chief marketing officer of J.B Hunt Transportation Services, Inc., and board member of the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Denver, will receive the award during the opening general session of this year’s Intermodal Expo in Anaheim, California on November 12.
Bergant was chosen by the IANA Awards Selection Committee for his “relentless drive in developing and fostering a domestic intermodal service ‘as good as a truck’ that transformed the intermodal freight transportation industry.”
According to the association, the Silver Kingpin Award is one of the intermodal industry’s most well-established and prestigious awards. It has been presented annually, since 1977 to individuals for their significant, long-term contributions to intermodalism.
Bergant is credited with seeing the need for motor carrier-railroad partnerships and, through a unique collaboration, creating the intermodal service for J. B. Hunt. He is also recognized for promoting the new service to shippers, especially retailers, showcasing domestic intermodal’s use as a long-term capacity solution and economic value.
“In the last 20-plus years we have seen an amazing transformation take place in domestic intermodal,” observed IANA chairman. Dave Manning. “This positive change would not have been possible without industry entrepreneurs and leaders such as Paul.”