SEE the BIG PICTURE Who we are. Where we re going. And WHY we really matter.
For as long as we ve been in business, Cole International has been growing and evolving. We ve had to. In an industry like ours an industry where the only constant is change adaptation and evolution are the keys to our survival. When I look at our people, I see a team of our industry s best adaptable, resilient, hungry for growth and ready for change. And that s inspiring. It assures me that Cole International is well positioned for a very bright future. To make the most of our company s solid foundation and incredible potential, it s absolutely crucial that we work as one team and that we move forward together toward one vision for our future. One team. One direction. One big picture. If we are fragmented, we will fail. If our approach is competitive rather than collaborative, we will fail. If we all work in our own ways and serve our own siloed interests, we will fail. But if we are aligned if we all set our sights on our mission and vision, live our values, reinforce our points of distinction and embrace our strategic priorities we will be a leader in our industry. Our mission, vision, values, differentiators and strategic priorities were carefully distilled by a team of our company s leaders. They emerged out of a rigorous, painstaking process of collaboration, debate, envisioning and honest introspection. And they re important. In fact, they re imperative to our success in an industry that s growing ever more competitive. Please read them carefully and take them to heart. Don Lucky, President & CEO
WHO are we? WHY are we here? WHAT purpose do we really serve? Although these questions sound like fodder for philosophical naval-gazing, they re actually important questions that every successful business should be able to answer simply, clearly and with no hesitation. Without those answers, an organization has no sense of strategic direction no common goals toward which every member of the team is working. It has no clear sense of identity no way to distinguish itself or explain its value to its customers or employees. It has no sense of purpose to energize its people. It has no common language and no common culture. For Cole International and all of our people, the answers to these fundamental questions are set out here in our mission, vision, values, differentiators and strategic priorities. Simply and clearly, they articulate who we are, why we re here, why we matter and how we stand apart in the big picture of our competitive space. Simply and clearly, they articulate who we are, why we re here, why we matter and how we stand apart in the big picture of our competitive space. It s important to note that these are not impossible ideals, and they re certainly not something our leadership invented. Our mission, vision, values, differentiators and strategic priorities emerged organically through an intensive envisioning process that engaged many people across our company. They are authentic expressions of who we are and who we aspire to become. And if we, as a company, hope to endure in our highly competitive sphere, every single one of us must take them to heart. Every day, and in everything we do, we must mindfully pursue our mission and vision, live our values, reinforce our differentiators and embrace our strategic priorities. It s the only way to ensure our continued success.
To see the big picture, take a closer look at the details...
OUR MISSION Logistics. It s what we do.
Our Big-Picture Purpose Our mission is our core purpose our raison d être the single most important reason Cole International exists. What does our mission mean? It s what we do is a simple yet powerful statement that emphasizes our singular focus and the sincere commitment behind it. It s a crystalline expression of our brand positioning: Cole International doesn t dabble in logistics. It s all we do, all day long. Because we ve seen and dealt with every conceivable issue, we are very adept at finding ways to keep your business on the move. As an effective mission statement should, it provides a versatile springboard for talking about Cole International s vision, values, key differentiators and strategic priorities. To achieve our mission, we must remain relentlessly focused on the BIG PICTURE of our clients businesses. And our own. ~ Don Lucky
OUR VISION We will be the most knowledgeable, proficient & profes logistics company in our competitive setting the unbeatable standard for
Our Big-Picture Ambition Our vision is where we see ourselves in the future our corporate aspiration. It s a lens for our strategic objectives and supporting goals. What does our vision mean? sional space, value. As all intelligent visions are, ours has been crafted with purpose and foresight, aimed squarely at sustaining strong competitive advantages by leveraging and constantly building on the points of distinction that set us apart: An understanding that our drive to remain on the leading edge of industry technical knowledge will be key to our enduring success A recognition that continued gains in proficiency, which we ll achieve through a combination of the right people and the right technologies, are crucial to continued profitability and growth A relentless commitment to professional conduct and to building professional relationships with our customers by delivering value that far exceeds our price. To each of our customers, we re a business partner. It s not a matter of wanting to contribute to their success. It s a matter of simply contributing. It s what we do. ~ Kyle Johnston
OUR CULTURE One team. One culture. On
All brands grow from the inside out. How external audiences perceive and experience our brand is influenced directly and profoundly by our company culture that is, the beliefs and behaviours that drive our employees and management and shape their interactions with each other and with our customers. A culture of excellence Unless those beliefs and behaviours are expressly defined and mindfully cultivated, a company s culture will be fragile and fragmented, and the brand image it projects will lack consistency and conviction. It will reflect individual personalities rather than a collective identity, it will alienate more than it unites, and it will struggle chronically to capture the hearts and minds of prospects. Over our 55+ years, Cole International s culture has developed more or less organically, shaped in large part by the values of founder Don Lucky and the people he s hired to help the company thrive things like integrity, professionalism and an unflagging commitment to personalized service. While those values have been broadly understood, they ve never been formally articulated until now. To hone and sustain our edge in our rapidly evolving competitive sphere, it s imperative that all of Cole International s people clearly understand and fully embrace the values that reside at the heart of our culture. One team. One culture. One vision for our future. e vision.
OUR VALUES These are the core priorities that shape our culture and guide our actions. They re the way we do things around here. Beyond giving shape, meaning and purpose to our culture, our values support our mission and vision, underpin our key differentiators and guide our strategic objectives. They are the essence of our identity the beliefs and behaviours that form the backdrop of our technical competencies and service offerings. Our values are far more than just a code of conduct : They provide a crucial framework for decision making. (If a decision doesn t align with our values, it s not a good decision for our company.) They educate customers and prospects about what we stand for and how we do business. In this regard, they are effective qualifiers for new customers. Like attracts like. They are valuable tools in recruiting and retaining employees whose values and ways of working align with ours.
Each of these 5 values directly impacts our success in achieving our mission and vision.
See the big picture. Delivering real value demands big-picture thinking and an enterprise-wide perspective. Cole International is a global, integrated logistics company. To harness and deliver the full value of our offerings, we think outside the silo to uncover opportunities and unlock greater value for our clients. Constantly expand your knowledge and skills. Learning and collaboration are crucial to maintaining our edge. Every employee is integral to our success and our clients success. We ll stay ahead of competitors only if we all stay ahead of the curve through lifelong learning, ongoing development and open collaboration. Think like a partner, not a supplier. We are driven to help our customers businesses thrive. Being an effective business partner comes through collaboration. That s how we uncover our customers pain points and find new ways to expand our value. Exude professionalism in everything you do. Let s prove that we re the company that attracts the industry s best. Professionalism is more than an outward image. It s about being accountable to our brand promise and relentless in our determination to add value. If we say It s what we do, we have a responsibility to do it and to do it right. Do the right thing. Act with integrity. Honour your commitments. Earn people s respect. If it doesn t add value and serve a client s best interests, we find another way. If it isn t legal or ethical, we find another way. If it doesn t reflect integrated, bigpicture thinking, we find another way. And if it doesn t align with our strategic objectives and the corporate goals that support them, we find another way.
OUR POINTS OF DISTINCTION VALUE rather than PRICE
Our Place in the Big Picture These are the authentic and meaningful differentiators that set us apart and define our competitive edge. Why do points of distinction matter? Customers and prospects will offer a long list of reasons for choosing one logistics company over all the others. When they choose Cole International, it s usually because we take a big-picture view of their business, because we re knowledgeable, and because we take a professional approach with a uniquely personalized slant. When they choose our competitors, it s often because of cost. Here, we delve deeper into the qualities and ways of working that give Cole International a meaningful edge over competitors and help build upon the company s solid reputation. Working continually to reinforce and amplify our points of distinction is vital to our sustainable success because they strengthen our position in the marketplace and allow us to compete on value rather than price.
What sets us apart.
Integrated services, integrated thinking We see and understand the big picture. Cole International is a global, integrated logistics company. And our people have global, integrated understandings of our industry and our customers businesses. By combining strategic, big-picture thinking with relentless attention to the details that matter, we deliver integrated solutions whose value far exceeds their price. The leaders in trade and technical knowledge Because it s our job to know the answers. Rising above the others in the global logistics industry all comes down to knowledge and effort how much we know, and how hard we re willing to work for our customers. Our people combine unmatched industry knowledge with a tireless drive to see our customers succeed. A partner in each customer s success Logistics is what we do. Acting as a business partner is how we do it. We build long-term customer relationships by delivering great value and treating their businesses as if they were our own. We develop deep understandings of their business needs and challenges, and then we work tirelessly to provide intelligent, proactive solutions. As we navigate the complex logistics landscape on our customers behalf, our constant quest is to do the right thing for their businesses. Professionals helping people Making our customers jobs and their lives easier it s what we ve been doing for over half a century. Whether it s our rigorous efforts to maintain the industry s highest levels of technical knowledge, our sense of commitment to each customer s business or our drive to do the right thing in everything we do, our relentless professionalism translates into a calibre of customer service that simply can t be matched.
OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES Moving forward as a unified, mission-driven team
Preserving and Enlarging Our Big Picture Our strategic priorities set the stage for operationalizing our mission and fulfilling our vision. What practical purpose do strategic priorities serve? These priorities set the stage for initiatives and actions that support our mission, vision and values and sustain our key differentiators. In broad strokes, they set Cole International s strategic direction; and they establish a framework for setting actionable, measurable short-term and longer-term goals at every level of our organization. Establishing strategic priorities that align directly with our mission, vision, values and differentiators and using those strategic priorities as the parameters for goal-setting ensures everything we do as a company keeps us moving forward in the same direction as a unified, mission-driven team. Delivering value is the only way to sustainably differentiate our services and grow our business. ~ Don Lucky
Technological proficiency As a global, integrated company, we need an integrated, world-class IT/IS platform. To support our commitment to the highest levels of professionalism and proficiency, we will implement a technology platform that streamlines our business, heightens our customer service and breaks down any barriers between our various business disciplines. Staff development Ongoing training must be embraced by all as an avenue to heightened proficiency and enhanced value. To achieve and sustain a position as the industry leader in trade and technical knowledge and to constantly elevate our professionalism, we will make training and development a key priority for all of our people. A consistent, cohesive culture of excellence We must think and act as one company with one unifying aim. Our collective success depends on our collective ability to pursue a single mission and vision, to live our values and to work together to achieve our strategic priorities. A comprehensive business plan We need a road map that shows we are looking to the future and are ready to embrace it. To compete and grow, we need to set goals and establish action plans for the short- and long-term future (one year, five years, 15 years). Developing this plan will impel our senior management to clearly define and align on our offerings, target markets, marketing plan, pricing strategy and measures of success ( product, place, promotion, price, profit ). The business plan and its supporting goals and action plans will be reviewed and updated annually.
This book belongs to: Commitment Statement As a valued member of the Cole International team and a crucial piece in the big picture of our company s success, I will uphold our mission, pursue our vision and live our values in everything I do. With passion and professionalism, I will seek ways to strengthen and deepen our customer relationships by adding value, by helping them streamline and grow their businesses, and by ensuring they understand all the ways Cole International can fulfil their customs and logistics needs. I will embrace opportunities to expand my professional knowledge and skills, and I ll openly share my ideas for improving the way we do business. Above all, I will endeavour at all times to do the right thing right for our customers, right for our company, right for our culture and right for our industry. Because it s what we do.