By Jenny Callison
Enquirer contributor

The owners of Burd Brothers: Tyler Burdick (left), his father Dick and brother Shaun. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

BATAVIA - A father's business insights shaped a successful company that has benefited the whole family.

When Dick Burdick learned that his sons Shaun and Tyler were retiring from pro football careers and wanted to work together, he knew he wanted to make that possible. A state worker turned trucking operations manager, he suggested that they start their own trucking company and incorporated everything he knew about freight hauling into their business plan.

"As an operations manager and foreman, I had learned the line haul, and how you move your trucks," Burdick said. "I helped them put the business together and was their adviser.

"One-third of our business would be food-related, one-third paper-related, and one-third manufacturing. Doing business with the food industry guaranteed that we would survive, even in the worst of times. I chose paper because Cincinnati is a large paper town, and paper is related to food. Manufacturing made sense because we have companies like Kroger and Procter & Gamble here."

Burd Brothers, as the fledgling company was called, decided to operate largely within the Interstate 275 belt and became licensed in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

The business plan called for a similar triangular approach to its equipment needs: Burd Brothers bought a third of its trucks, leased one-third and rented one-third.

"When times get tough, you turn in your rental trucks," Burdick said.

In early 1993, the company was ready to go, with one small hitch: neither the father nor the sons knew how to drive a truck.

"We practiced behind the McAlpin's at Cherry Grove Mall, which had closed. The parking lot was pretty deserted," Burdick said.

Until the economic downturn of 2001, Burd Brothers saw steady growth. It earned certification to handle hazardous materials. It added warehousing. After temporarily relocating its warehouse to Bellevue, the company acquired a larger site in the Batavia industrial park where it was headquartered, and in 1999 consolidated its operations there.

"We were warned that it would be tough to recoup our investment," Burdick said. "But it took only 14 months, and we were profitable again."

Another strategic investment has paid off. In December 2002, Burd Brothers established a general commodity brokerage division to increase its payloads. According to Burdick, the new division was turning a profit by its fourth month. While the trucker still specializes in short hauls, its perimeter has expanded to include Columbus, Indianapolis, Lexington and Portsmouth. Deliveries to hub cities elsewhere are more frequent.

The company now is licensed to operate in 22 states and employs about 30 drivers, many of whom have been with the company for several years. Employees receive ongoing training and 401(k) matches at the legal maximum.

"These guys are just exceptional," said Mike Norris, vice president of sales for Camp Washington flour miller Brighton Mills. "They are almost like an in-house operation for us. They know our quality, our type of pallets, what our customers require. These guys really care; it's their name on the truck. They sweat bullets like we do."

Burd Brothers Inc. is at 4005 Borman Drive in Batavia. Information: 735-0777.

E-mail jcallison@zoomtown.com.