Aim News

Aim Transportation Solutions and Dutch Farms reached a significant milestone this past year, celebrating an incredible 25 years of business together. The multi-decade full-service leasing partnership between Aim and the Chicago-based producer and distributor of top-notch dairy, deli, meat and bakery products underscores just that: a true partnership built on trust, reliability and mutual success.

Jasmine Cortez, Dutch Farms Distribution Center Office Manager, holds up a plaque commemorating 25 years of partnership between Aim and Dutch Farms. Left of Jasmine is Kevin Cummings, Aim Regional Director of Maintenance, and to the immediate right of her is Ron Maida, Dutch Farms Fleet Manager, followed by Tim Hanley, Aim Regional Vice President, who presented the plaque.

Given their histories, the synergy between the two companies isn’t surprising. Like Aim, Dutch Farms has a long, rich history with humble beginnings. Dutch Farms launched in 1987 (just five years after Aim as we know it today hit the scene in Youngstown, OH). The egg and dairy business was hatched inside the basement of a house just outside Chicago with Brian and Bruce Boomsma at the helm. In those early years, their only commodity was eggs, which were distributed using just two trucks.

Business boomed, and by 1989, just two years after launch, they outgrew the confines of the basement. So, the Boomsma brothers packed up and moved to a larger, better-equipped facility in Lansing, IL. Eventually Dutch Farms would outgrow this location, which would lead them to taking root in Chicago, home of Dutch Farms today.

These days Dutch Farms distributes more than just eggs. They also deliver dairy, deli, meat and bakery products across the country. As you can imagine, distribution is a vital function of the Dutch Farms operation. Making high-quality products is half of the equation. Getting them into the hands of customers is the other.

Today, Dutch Farms relies on a fleet of around 55 trucks to meet demand—a massive leap from those two trucks in the mid-eighties. Aim began leasing trucks to Dutch Farms in 1998. At that time, Dutch Farms utilized a handful of full-service leasing providers, but, as time went on, Aim-leased trucks would make up the entirety of Dutch Farms’ fleet of power units. Why the shift? The answer is simple: committed, trusted relationships, reliable service and mutual success. Said another way: Aim offers a true partnership.

“For 25 years, the Aim team has been incredibly helpful,” said Ron Maida, Fleet & Transportation Manager at Dutch Farms. “Anytime we’ve needed anything, all I have to do is pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, this is what I need,’ and Aim would deliver.”

“I think a partner like that is vital to any business, and I couldn’t imagine not having Aim around,” Ron added. “The support Aim gives us—whether it’s getting new equipment or helping us with paperwork, mileage, permits and different things like that—is invaluable to Dutch Farms.”

Mr. Maida has been with Dutch Farms since those early days in the Boomsma basement. In fact, he was behind the wheel of one of those two aforementioned trucks delivering eggs. Since, Ron has worn many hats at Dutch Farms, learning every aspect of the business. Now, of course, he oversees the company’s fleet and transportation operations.

With all his time, experience and knowledge, Ron lists these six things as the most valuable aspects of a full-service lease with Aim:

• Maintenance and repairs: In instances of breakdowns, Aim’s mechanics quickly and efficiently fix and get the equipment back on the road making deliveries.
• Substitute vehicles: If a truck goes down, Dutch Farms is provided with a substitute vehicle of the same type (e.g. sleeper for a sleeper, day cab for a day cab, etc.).
• Additional service availability: When Dutch Farms encounters issues with owned equipment, Ron can lean on Aim for those quick, timely repairs.
• 24/7, 365 Aim Road Rescue service: No matter when, where or what, Aim Road Rescue is there to respond and resolve any problems with the truck when it’s on the road.
• Flat company structure: Management is highly involved and always easily accessible to handle any issues or concerns.
• Family-owned attention and care: Ron cites this as the number-one most valuable components to leasing with Aim: Everyone cares. From the ownership to the mechanics, everyone is committed to the success of the customer.

“Forging these long-lasting partnerships is what it’s all about for me and for all of us at Aim,” said Aim Regional Vice President Tim Hanley, who oversees the Aim-Dutch Farms partnership. “There are plenty of companies that sell and lease trucks, but Aim’s difference-maker is our people, who are attentive, responsive and stop at nothing to do what’s right for the customer, and the Aim-Dutch Farms partnership reflects that to its fullest.”

“Over my 35 years of experience, I would choose Aim over any other leasing company," remarked Ron Maida. "Unlike others, Aim demonstrates a sense of urgency whenever something comes up, whether that’s routine maintenance, repairs or whatever it might be.”

“Aim cares and has always been there for us, and that’s why we’ve been partners for 25 years and why we’ll be partners for years to come,” Ron continued.

“When you have the pleasure of working with a company like Dutch Farms for decades, being able to witness their extraordinary growth and success over the last 25 years, and to know you’ve played a significant role in their success, that is by far the most rewarding part of what we do,” Tim said.

“On behalf of myself and everyone at Aim, I want to thank Dutch Farms for the last 25 years of partnership,” Tim added. “I’m truly grateful for their trust in me, my team and Aim over the last two and a half decades, and I look forward to the years ahead.”