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Tanguay to Step Down as OTA Chair
- Thread starter thebluffs1
- Start date
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She did the right thing
Changing of the Guard at OTA
(Toronto) -- The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is announcing today that Julie Tanguay, former president of L.E. Walker Transportation, St. Thomas, which was sold to MacKinnon Transport, Guelph, last year, has stepped down from the OTA chair; a post she has held since November 2008.
In a statement released today, Tanguay said: “I do not want the recent changes in my business circumstances to become a distraction for OTA and I am therefore stepping aside as the OTA chairperson, effective immediately. I want to thank all of those members who have supported me through this time. Being the chair of OTA is a great honour and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity. OTA is an incredible organization that I will continue to support and be involved with in the years ahead.”
David Bradley, OTA president, thanked Julie Tanguay for her years of service to OTA. “I know how difficult a decision this is for Julie. She was a terrific chairperson and is a true leader. She has been a beacon of common sense and responsible trucking throughout her career and I have no doubt will continue to be so.”
The OTA board elections for the 2010-12 term, will take place as scheduled this autumn with a new chairperson elected at the association’s annual general meeting in November. In the interim period, the OTA Nominations Committee, endorsed by the OTA Executive Committee, has installed Mark Seymour, president of Kriska Transportation, Prescott, and immediate past chairman of the association, as Acting Chairman.
Changing of the Guard at OTA
(Toronto) -- The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is announcing today that Julie Tanguay, former president of L.E. Walker Transportation, St. Thomas, which was sold to MacKinnon Transport, Guelph, last year, has stepped down from the OTA chair; a post she has held since November 2008.
In a statement released today, Tanguay said: “I do not want the recent changes in my business circumstances to become a distraction for OTA and I am therefore stepping aside as the OTA chairperson, effective immediately. I want to thank all of those members who have supported me through this time. Being the chair of OTA is a great honour and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity. OTA is an incredible organization that I will continue to support and be involved with in the years ahead.”
David Bradley, OTA president, thanked Julie Tanguay for her years of service to OTA. “I know how difficult a decision this is for Julie. She was a terrific chairperson and is a true leader. She has been a beacon of common sense and responsible trucking throughout her career and I have no doubt will continue to be so.”
The OTA board elections for the 2010-12 term, will take place as scheduled this autumn with a new chairperson elected at the association’s annual general meeting in November. In the interim period, the OTA Nominations Committee, endorsed by the OTA Executive Committee, has installed Mark Seymour, president of Kriska Transportation, Prescott, and immediate past chairman of the association, as Acting Chairman.
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That's very unfortunate, not only for the OTA but the transportation industry as a whole. I have had the pleasure of meeting with Julie many times and hearing her speak at various industry functions. I always found her to be an engaging speaker who was seriously committed to the advancement of trucking in Ontario. She seemed to be one of the first chairpersons who understood that the industry included more than just the large carriers.
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I would assume the secured creditors had a PPSA or General Security Agreement with the receivables and any other assets as collatoral. The secured creditors would more than likely be the bank and the shareholders who have money owed to them.
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With all due respect to Julie Tanguay, she is probably a very nice person, However, it is hard to feel for someone that operated so poorly she left over $4mm on the street. She had no choice but to step down from the OTA. The cost of keeping her in place would have been substantial to the OTA. In the end Evan Mackinnon ends up with everything good from L.E.Walker along with some pretty good customers no doubt. Julie ends up not missing a penny of income and remains gainfully employed saving face with those same customers. Is'nt life wonderful in Ontario.
There is a list of about 1000 carriers that have gone bust in the last few years. I don't think they were all bad operators. I do not know Julie, but I gave them a pile of loads a few years ago and they were nothing but proffessional.
This site has examples every day of what a tough business this is. It is just as tough (maybe tougher) for the bigger ones as the smaller ones.
L.E. Walker was around for a very long time, don't think for a minute that Julie Tanguay (formerly Walker) thinks she came away a winner because she is still employed.
As far as McKinnon is concerned, they stepped up to the plate and made the best of a bad situation. Time will tell if it was a winning strategy.
This site has examples every day of what a tough business this is. It is just as tough (maybe tougher) for the bigger ones as the smaller ones.
L.E. Walker was around for a very long time, don't think for a minute that Julie Tanguay (formerly Walker) thinks she came away a winner because she is still employed.
As far as McKinnon is concerned, they stepped up to the plate and made the best of a bad situation. Time will tell if it was a winning strategy.
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Obviously an OTA supporter or else you would be outraged with what transpired. The complete thing STINKS...
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In a situation like this, even the secured creditors will be lucky to get anything near what they're owed. I am certainly no expert on bankruptcies, but it would appear that the finance companies will show the amount outstanding on trucks/trailers they hold paper on. Once that equipment goes through the auction the amount they bring will be much less than the outstanding amount. Don't forget, assests are shown as "book value". When those same assets are sold at auction their "value" is usually a much lower number. Certainly, secured creditors are in a better position in the line, but their debts are not always "iron-clad".
Personal priorities
I'm not an OTA member, associate or otherwise, and I've never met MS. Tanguay nor heard her speak, however I do have a question regarding personal priorities.
If your business was in trouble (she knew or ought to have known), would you be devoting your precious time (we only have a limited amount and you can't buy any more), to the duties and responsibilities that come with being an industry association executive?
If MS. Tanguay had not resigned her position and I were a member of the OTA, I would have been be questioning the wisdom of having someone with that degree of business acumen represent my interests in anything.
I'm not an OTA member, associate or otherwise, and I've never met MS. Tanguay nor heard her speak, however I do have a question regarding personal priorities.
If your business was in trouble (she knew or ought to have known), would you be devoting your precious time (we only have a limited amount and you can't buy any more), to the duties and responsibilities that come with being an industry association executive?
If MS. Tanguay had not resigned her position and I were a member of the OTA, I would have been be questioning the wisdom of having someone with that degree of business acumen represent my interests in anything.
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Its amazing that so many collection clerks, people that have never run anything but a photocopier, people who work 9-5 and have someone else sign their paychecks have such great opinions about how a company should be run or can attest to the strength of someone's character when they have never even met the person. Must be nice to be so intuitive.
Try working 24/7, 365 days of the year with your whole life and family name on the line. Try doing it when the economy has gone into the toilet and there isn't much you can do but try and hold on.
I don't believe that Imperial Tobacco or Sterling consulted with Ms. Tanguay when they decided to pull the plug on their operations (they didnt). Try saving your company and your job but still find the time to donate your time trying to make your industry a better place. Time that is freely donated by people who really are guilty of caring about their industry and their companies, not who are there with secret agendas for personal gain.
Julie was involved in the OTA because of her desire to make the industry a better place for the drivers and owner operators, a voice for the important people. If you had ever been to any meetings or discussions you would know this.
There are hundreds of trucking companies and thousands of companies that have succumbed to the economic times we are in. I dont believe that very many of them had secret agenda's driven by personal gain.
Julie is a classy person who cares deeply about our industry and should be commended for stepping aside considering her circumstances.
You should go back to collecting money and worrying about what you are having for lunch today.
Ciao
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There was nothing wrong with L E Walker Transport as far as ethics were concerned. They were just caught in a very bad economic situation -- they were well known for being big in automotive and a couple of other industries in bad decline. Did the accountants come up with some creative stuff on the bankruptcy? Sure ... but this would have been a lot worse if Mackinnon didn't get involved.
Does she need to step down from OTA chairperson? Yes ... but was it wrong for her to be the leader she has been? No. She wasn't giving up ... she fought hard to keep L E Walker in business, she just failed.
You can't compare this to the situations that go on every day in our business with the small guys closing and running.
Does she need to step down from OTA chairperson? Yes ... but was it wrong for her to be the leader she has been? No. She wasn't giving up ... she fought hard to keep L E Walker in business, she just failed.
You can't compare this to the situations that go on every day in our business with the small guys closing and running.
The danger of making assumptions
Coldshipper, your assumptions about me couldn't be more inaccurate. I've successfully owned and operated my business for more than 20 years, with happy vendors and customers, and sign my own paychecks. I've worked the kind of hours you have mentioned, especially when getting my business of the ground. I've had customers go bankrupt (without consultation as you so eloquently put it), yet still paid the carriers - on time! Had to go without a paycheck for some time, but the carriers did their deal with me, not my customers.
If I owed your company money and spent any time at all with anything other than working diligently on my business in order to make sure you get paid, what would you then think about me? Would you hold me in the same high regard as you seem to do with Ms. Tanguay? Would you rather I spend some of my time trying to make your industry a better place, or concentrate on paying you?
If you re-read my earlier post, I think you will agree that I did not disparage nor question Ms. Tanguay's character as a person, but did question how she spent her time. You will also notice that I did not accuse anyone of having a secret agenda for personal gain. In fact, I'm certain that Ms. Tanguay is a very nice person with many commendable attributes.
In regard to your suggestion of what I should be doing with my time, I haven't given any thought about what I'm having for lunch, but I'm damn sure it won't be humble pie!
Ciao
Coldshipper, your assumptions about me couldn't be more inaccurate. I've successfully owned and operated my business for more than 20 years, with happy vendors and customers, and sign my own paychecks. I've worked the kind of hours you have mentioned, especially when getting my business of the ground. I've had customers go bankrupt (without consultation as you so eloquently put it), yet still paid the carriers - on time! Had to go without a paycheck for some time, but the carriers did their deal with me, not my customers.
If I owed your company money and spent any time at all with anything other than working diligently on my business in order to make sure you get paid, what would you then think about me? Would you hold me in the same high regard as you seem to do with Ms. Tanguay? Would you rather I spend some of my time trying to make your industry a better place, or concentrate on paying you?
If you re-read my earlier post, I think you will agree that I did not disparage nor question Ms. Tanguay's character as a person, but did question how she spent her time. You will also notice that I did not accuse anyone of having a secret agenda for personal gain. In fact, I'm certain that Ms. Tanguay is a very nice person with many commendable attributes.
In regard to your suggestion of what I should be doing with my time, I haven't given any thought about what I'm having for lunch, but I'm damn sure it won't be humble pie!
Ciao
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Its amazing that so many collection clerks, people that have never run anything but a photocopier, people who work 9-5 and have someone else sign their paychecks have such great opinions about how a company should be run or can attest to the strength of someone's character when they have never even met the person. Must be nice to be so intuitive.
Try working 24/7, 365 days of the year with your whole life and family name on the line. Try doing it when the economy has gone into the toilet and there isn't much you can do but try and hold on.
driven by personal gain.
You should go back to collecting money and worrying about what you are having for lunch today.
Ciao
Coldshipper: Everything that Activet pointed out in his response to your ignorant remarks is the truth. We have dealt with his company for years - top notch! Your accusations are completely unfounded and insulting. Activet knows this industry inside and out and has worked hard at being successful. After all his company is still going strong in spite of the economy that ails us all.