Werner Enterprises out of Omaha. Rivera’s father was in the Air Force and Rivera spent his formative years overseas, swearing to himself that when he got back to the states he’d actually try to see a lot of them. He signed on with Werner as a driver for five years, with the understanding that he would eventually transition to management. “I got to see the first 48 my first five


years,” said Rivera, who went on to spend the rest of his time keeping other drivers on the road before finding an opportunity too good to pass up at NMC.


“It enabled me to learn a lot more than what I had known about the transportation industry,” he said.


As a former driver and one who works closely with drivers in dispatch, Rivera is keenly aware of the special skills the drivers at NMC have.


Not only do they have to drive big trucks loaded with heavy machinery, the drivers have to safely and legally navigate those trucks to constructions sites, sometimes over dirt roads and terrain that is less than ideal. “A five-mile trip may be 15 or 20 miles by the time we’re done,” Rivera said. The drivers also have to know how to operate the equipment they are hauling so they can get it off the trucks and brief the customer who will use it.


“There’s a lot of challenges that these guys face every day and to me it’s exciting to see how they meet hose challenges,” Rivera said. “If there’s an obstacle that’s in front of them they find a way to get around it and make it happen. To me that’s more exciting than anything else.” For Mizaur too, the daily, on-the-job pleasure comes from seeing the employees succeed.


“The thing that I love about NMC is that we have an entrepreneurial culture and the thing about having an entrepreneurial culture is it allows me to work with people in all the different divisions we have, in helping to grow those divisions and then working with the customers to improve their businesses.” One of the most exciting recent develop- ments from Mizaur’s standpoint is the NMC Truck Centers move toward servicing all makes and models of trucks as the company’s old mainstay Caterpillar has moved away from the on-highway truck engine business. “That’s been a part of our expansion.


Recently, we have focused on the all-makes- and-models truck business,” Mizaur said. Expansion has also included the material handling division’s new location in Sioux Falls, S.D., and a new workshop in Fargo, N.D.


“It’s affected the workload but the quality of employees we have, we’re already able to handle that,” Rivera said of the company’s growth mode.


Mizaur said the big challenge comes from finding balance during growth – not to overinvest in the growing business while also trying not to be too restrictive on personnel or infrastructure investments. And he said finding quality technical talent is a challenge for anybody in the equipment business. But both men agreed it is a little easier to meet challenges within the community environment of the Nebraska Trucking Asso- ciation. Being able to pick the brains of one’s peers on topics ranging from maintenance to the newest equipment on the market and to be brought up to speed on new legislation or regulations is an immeasurable help, Rivera said. The membership may include compa- nies who are business competitors, but the individuals are kindred spirits. “It kind of makes it nice to talk about different things and the challenges we’re facing,” Rivera said. “The end result is we’re all transporting something.” Whether interacting with the Association or working with its own employees, NMC has thrived on relationships and people. But, Mizaur said, that’s always something you can build on.


“I’m very excited about the future and


about The NMC Group and our prospects of growing the company,” he said. “Again it’s re- ally about people, great people, and we have some of the best employees in the state and country, and certainly you can do anything with the right people.”


nebtrucking.com


Issue 1, 2017 - Nebraska Trucker


23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24