The other day I start getting notifications from Linkedin saying “Happy Anniversary”. Whoa, was there a mistake here? I thought I knew them all; there’s my wedding anniversary – never forget that, then there’s KRTS, it’s in August, this year will be 25 years! Maybe The Rear View Mirror? It could be, I am not really sure when we officially launched our publication. I did a little digging, I was curious. Was I missing a party? The notification was for Transrep! We missed our birthday, well at least I did. I am pretty sure we both did. Ray and I do not like to miss celebrations! 
Transrep is three? Where did that time go? It seemed like yesterday Ray rolled out the plan to me as we were sipping a cold one in Nashville. My partner has a great mind and he has a rare gift that most people do not have. He can articulate his vision very well, draw you a clear picture. So he told me we can start a business by referring people’s services, represent them without being part of the entire sales cycle. We could leverage our many years of being in business along with the excellent reputation we have created (and yes, I know everyone does not love us) to help companies get their products and services in front of the decision makers – to “hook the seller and the buyer up”, so to speak, kind of like a dating service! We would take our “dating service” to the next level by vetting all products and services before representing them. That way we could make sure we like what is being offered, and that, in our opinion, it is useful and going to improve our industry. Perfect! I loved the idea, it was right in my wheelhouse so I said “Let’s do it”.
We carved out some time to put our plan together and Transrep was born. Lisa, my lovely bride, built our website, designed our logo and put our marketing kit together and we were off to the races. After a couple of press releases we started having meetings with potential clients. The reason I liked the Transrep idea so much is that I could sell it while I was selling KRTS Transportation Specialists Inc. and The Rear View Mirror. What happened next was not expected or planned. Other opportunities started popping up for Transrep; a head hunting service, a social media suite of services, behavourial modelling testing for drivers, consulting to companies for improving the bottom line and now, before we even realized it – Transrep is three years old!
Ray and I have done business at conventions, industry seminars, targeted events, even in the hallways and hotel lobbies
and we have done pretty well with my pal Razor’s idea. Sales have grown nicely over the past three years and for the most part I have enjoyed being in business with Ray. Of course we have our differences – we are both very passionate people and we know what we want. What makes us successful is that we are wired differently and we look at situations and opportunities for the most part from alternative perspectives. In my opinion this is very positive as we both put different spins on things. Most importantly we respect each other and what we each bring to the table. Neither one of us are highly educated but can tell you we both have our MBA in street smarts and common sense, we both understand our industry very well and we both have expertise in our field. Just as importantly, we have partnered and surrounded ourselves with great people. Lisa is brilliant when it comes to design and marketing. Bruce Outridge is our partner with our social media offerings and there are many other people behind the scenes who have helped make Transrep successful.
Oh, and let’s not forget Linkedin. I must admit I am not as dedicated to Linkedin as I should be. My rational? It’s another ball for me juggle, another plate for me to spin but I will say “thank you” to Linkedin for reminding us about our anniversary. They helped spur on this article and gave me a chance to walk down memory lane – which is a really a good thing to do once in a while.
About the Author
Kim Richardson is a husband, proud dad, friend, loves Caledonia, and is involved in a couple of businesses, KRTS, Transrep, The Rear View Mirror. Currently the Chairman of the Board OTA Allied Trade Division. Executive Director, PTDI and TTSAO. Anyone who knows Kim knows he has been in the industry and transportation runs in his blood. Kim can be reached through his business websites at KRTS Inc, and Transrep Inc, Kim Richardson on Linkedln, krichardson@krway.com
