BNSF, UP awarded carrier of the year honors

BNSF was presented with the Domestic Carrier of the Year Award this month at Michaels' 14th Annual Vendor CEO Summit in Dallas. The theme of the event was "Michaels of the Future." Each year, Michaels evaluates the service of its transportation providers through stakeholder surveys. Companies are evaluated on key criteria such as customer service at both the destination and origin, as well as corporate level performance. "BNSF was honored with this esteemed award because of its support of Michaels' journey on the path to becoming a world-class retailer and growth to more than $4 billion in sales in 2010," said Tom DeCaro, Michaels executive vice president, Supply Chain. "At BNSF, we are committed to providing each and every one of our customers with the industry's most reliable intermodal service," said Steve Branscum, BNSF group vice president, Consumer Products Marketing. "We are honored to be recognized by Michaels as Domestic Carrier of the Year, and we look forward to helping them realize their goal of becoming a world class retailer." Owens Corning named Union Pacific its Enterprise Carrier of the Year for Rail. This is the second consecutive year Union Pacific received the award, which recognizes carriers' extraordinary commitment to service, safety and operational excellence for Owens Corning. UP also participated in the Owens Corning Executive Carrier Council, where awardees discussed the transportation environment in their respective modes. "Union Pacific was chosen to participate based upon its strategic importance to our transportation program and its level of commitment to our mutual success," said Wayne Johnson, manager of carrier relations at Owens Corning. "To be noted for our dedication to the success of a customer such as Owens Corning is a true honor," said Eric Butler, UP vice president and general manager, Industrial Products. "We strive to ship all of our customers' products safely and efficiently and continue to look for new ways to provide superior freight transportation service."