NUMBER OF MISTAKES ALONG THE WAY AND HAVE LEARNED FROM THEM.WE HAVE ALL


SUFFERED TOGETHER AND ALL PROSPERED TOGETHER. IT’S AS MUCH LIKE A FAMILY AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.”


—DENNISMORGAN


have a friendlier job and it would be easier to recruit them.” The company, now Cowan Systems,


became a short haul, dedicated carrier and created a niche of serving heavy shippers. “We changed the specifications on trucks and trailers to remove as much weight as we could so we could haul more freight,” Morgan said. The company went to super-


GETTING TO KNOW DENNIS MORGAN


FAVORITEQUOTE? “Nothing is forever, whether it is good or bad it will come to an end one day.”


WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNG PERSON TODAY? Develop a good work ethic and never stop learning new things.


IF YOU COULD LEARN TO DO ANYTHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Play the piano


FIRST CAR? 1967 Ford LTD


WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU LEARNED IN THE LAST WEEK? Being careful with communications and making sure what you are saying is being heard clearly and correctly.


NAME ONE OF YOUR WEAKNESSES? Trying to do too many things at one time


STRENGTH? Understanding people and knowing to relate to each different personality


ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF? Honest FIRST JOB? Delivered newspapers on a daily route six days a week WHAT FAMOUS PERSON (DEAD OR ALIVE) WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO MEET? Dean Martin


18 BEHIND THE WHEEL ~ Q4 Winter 2015 www.mmtanet.com


sized tires, used aluminum wherever possi- ble and took advantage of any new technol- ogies that would allow it to lighten its trucks and trailers while keeping the quali- ty of the vehicles high enough to withstand the demands placed upon them. “These changes have allowed us to haul


10 percent more freight than anyone else,” he said. While Cowan Systems goes after


“WE’VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT OF UPS AND DOWNS TOGETHER; WE HAVE MADE A FAIR


all types of short-haul business, it special- izes in shippers with heavier products. One long-time customer is Coca-Cola. “We can put two more pallets on the back of every load, so in essence that’s one free truckload for them for every 10 that we haul. It’s a lot of money.” Although Morgan took on a number of


different roles during these early days, in the last several years he has focused almost exclusively on financing and accounting and overseeing the IT department. In January 2015, Joe Cowan promoted him to president of Cowan Systems.


Working with Family During 2016 Morgan will mark his 36th


anniversary with the company, an employ- ment longevity that’s unusual today in most companies. “The generation before us did that, and I grew up in that environ- ment. When you went to work for a compa- ny you just assumed that you were going to stay until you retired” said Morgan.


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