From faith to fleet: How ProVia enhanced its logistics with NPTC

"Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

ProVia is a manufacturer of professional-class doors, storm doors, patio doors, windows, vinyl siding, manufactured stone, and metal roofing. The company's manufacturing processes combine state-of-the-art technology with human craftsmanship to ensure product quality and high-end aesthetics. ProVia's roots are in Sugarcreek, Ohio, an area renowned for its quality and old-world craftsmanship, where people take pride in crafting the finest products available.

The company began business in 1977 as a faith-based organization. ProVia's mission is "to serve, by caring for details in ways others won't." Each employee strives to put these words into action by providing quality and service every day.

Bill Mullet, founder and chairman of the board, had a vision to meet the highest standards of quality and customer service, and to offer the ability to customize as many products as needed. Equally important is the personalized treatment customers receive after placing an order.

Business has surged in the past decade. "Growth has been happening for a number of years here, and that continued and even increased during COVID, when we experienced challenges like many did, as well as significant growth," Wyman Miller, CTP, director of logistics for ProVia Logistics, said. "The pandemic and other economic factors inspired a boom in home construction, remodeling, and improvement, which continues to this day. We expect growth to continue in 2025."

Miller began working with the company 39 years ago. "I was a driver when I started and one of only 12 employees," he said. "For a while, I was the only shipping department employee. Over the years, I moved into various other positions but came back to logistics in 2017. We had 27 CDL-A drivers at the time. Fortunately, we had core staff in place, especially drivers, to build upon and meet the challenges of high-volume growth in the years ahead."

TJ Mummert, CTP, joined ProVia in 2016 as a logistics analyst and now serves as director of logistics. Raised in Xenia, Ohio, Mummert graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a degree in business management, and before joining ProVia, had over four years of experience with a major for-hire trucking company, most recently as a service center manager.

"Our involvement with NPTC occurred by happenstance in 2017 when we were introduced to the council by our local OEM truck dealer. The timing could not have been better. NPTC has been a blessing over the years," Miller said.

"We've valued different things about the NPTC. The annual conference and Private Fleet Management Institute allow for growth in knowledge, along with opportunities to network and meet new people and new products—you just don't know how one conversation could spark a new idea or take you down a thought process you didn't know you'd be on, but are glad you got there," Mummert said.

See also: Keep your fleet on a safe, winning path

Another benefit ProVia has appreciated involves the help of NPTC general counsel, Rick Schweitzer. He helped them with some regulatory issues in making deliveries to the Northeast. Said Mummert: "It's a great value add to have access to a resource like Rick that can provide essential information when navigating unfamiliar territory."

Since becoming active with NPTC, ProVia has expanded from one full-time safety coordinator to seven dedicated safety team members, demonstrating its commitment to a safety culture. ProVia has realized value from NPTC's annual Benchmarking Survey Report, utilizing it to better understand its performance within the industry.

In 2018, Miller and Mummert attended the NPTC Annual Conference, later enrolled in the PFMI, and in 2019, passed the Certified Transportation Professional exam. Mummert earned the highest score on the CTP Exam and was named FleetOwner Magazine's CTP Top Graduate award winner for the CTP Class of 2019.

"PFMI is exhausting, highly rewarding, and humbling. Like a previous attendee said, 'I did not know half of what I thought I did.' The value of networking cannot be emphasized enough," Mummert said.

In five years, the company has sponsored 12 staff members to complete the Private Fleet Management Institute and earn their CTP designations: six in operations, two in safety, two in maintenance, and two in administration. "We feel that investing our team members through the PFMI/CTP experience has made everyone better and the team much stronger overall," Miller said.

Today, ProVia's Logistics division has 185 employees. These include 150 CDL-A drivers and 35 administrative support team members.

"We have our own entry-level driver training school," Miller said. "To date, we've taken 15 drivers through the class. We support them financially and do not require them to sign a contract. This process has worked well for us so far.

"We take the perspective that we want our trucking driving experience to be one they don't want to leave. When they join our company, we want them to feel like they have been given part of their life back."

During interviews, driver candidates are advised of the faith-based nature of the company but are not required to be Christian and to follow the faith. But Miller adds: "However, we are going to talk about it and disclose how our faith defines our 19 corporate values, including the top five:

1. Integrity: We do the right thing because it is right.
2. Servant leadership: We lead by serving with humility.
3. Employee: We create an engaging environment that fosters a fulfilling life experience.
4. Customer: We serve our customers with excellence by delivering beyond their expectations.
5. Quality: We are committed to consistently producing best-in-class products.

Mummert concludes: "We are blessed to manufacture and deliver exterior building products; however, our purpose is: 'To let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.'"