The team at ProTrans International, Inc. is so honored and excited to be celebrating our 25th anniversary this year. Founded in 1993 by Craig Roeder, CEO, ProTrans is now an award-winning leader in the logistics industry. The company has faced many challenges over 25 years, yet continues to consistently expand into new markets and be on the forefront of innovation.
ProTrans is currently a $345 million company that is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with regional offices in Novi, Michigan and Monterrey, Mexico. The company also operates more than twenty-five service centers throughout Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and has a staff numbering over 1,000. Years of hard work and dedication from a talented team have gotten the company to where it is today.
Roeder, an Indiana University graduate, originally launched ProTrans as a response to emerging opportunities in freight consolidation and third-party logistics, that would support manufacturing markets from the Midwest to Texas, and into Mexico. This business model would provide cost savings to clients as ProTrans consolidated freight. Roeder set out on a mission to create a company with expertise unlike any other and one that would continuously develop innovative solutions and products for its clients.
The logistics industry was in an evolutionary phase in ProTrans’ early years. The introduction of personal computers in the 1980s meant that the industry was transitioning from its heavy focus on improving labor-intensive processes, time-dependent transportation and the use of manual record keeping. The new computerization of data provided flexible spreadsheets and map-based interfaces. These exciting technological advancements helped propel ProTrans’ business forward.
The founding of ProTrans also coincided with the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in 1994, which integrated the economies of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Roeder made a decision early on to focus on inbound operations that lent to the rapidly growing manufacturing sector in Mexico. The team at ProTrans felt that this was an opportunity worth seizing and that it would allow for the company to expand and diversify service offerings.
Under the leadership of Roeder, ProTrans has continued to be on the cutting edge when it comes to developing and implementing effective industry software and technology solutions. ProTrans began writing its own software in 1996, and in 2005 the leadership team made the decision to expand into logistics management and become a 3PL provider. In 2010, the ProTrans team wrote its own web-based Transport Management System (TMS) software, Optimz. This decision gave the company the adaptability to create unique solutions for each individual customer.
ProTrans has paved a road of success for the last 25 years and has no plans of slowing down. Our team is eager to continue further future expansion and will focus efforts on a global scale. We understand that increasing the company’s presence both in North America and across the globe will be vital for future success.
Between new global trade, rapidly changing technology, and the perseverance and flexibility of all of our team members, ProTrans has a very positive future outlook and we are extremely excited to see what the next 25 years have in store.
