MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: MEET KRISTY KNICHEL FROM KNICHEL LOGISTICS

TIA loves to celebrate our diverse membership. Meet Kristy Knichel, President and CEO of Knichel Logistics in Gibsonia, PA.

How did you get involved in the industry? How many years have you been working in the industry?

I approached my father when I was 19 about purchasing a Pizza shop, I ran. He then talked me into working for him instead. He was an agent at Cornerstone Systems at the time. We opened Knichel in 2003.  Soon after, I quit college and am in my 26th year in the business.

Who has inspired your career?

My father. He was very hard-working and successful.

What has been the greatest challenge/opportunity in your career?

My greatest challenge was also my biggest opportunity for change and growth. In 2013 an older COO had made some decisions to take the company down a path that brought us into the negative and losing money. I had to make the decision to lay-off 18 people. I also had to cut the COO, the Controller and my outside accounting team. I have never gone through an experience such as this and it was very painful. At the same time, I had to learn more about the numbers. I had to make some decisions that helped me grow as a leader even though my father was against those decisions, like firing the COO. I had to stand up for what was right and learn what I didn’t know in order for the company to continue to thrive.

What advice would you give to others who want to start working in the industry?

Understand that you don’t know what you don’t know. Don’t hesitate to reach out to people and learn. Start networking early and building a tribe of people you can talk to and learn from. Find a mentor early on to help get you where you want to go faster.

Why is it important for you to be a member of TIA?

It’s important to not only have access to the education, but different services that we use daily for our business like our bond that we hold. Their conferences open doors to networking with like-minded individuals which allows me and others in my company to build valuable industry relationships. I get to leverage all the knowledge from all the different people involved, whether on the board or other members, to help make business decisions. Most importantly TIA fights for our rights as business owners in an industry with ever changing legislation. Without their voice on the hill, we would not be aware of what’s going on with the government and what they are doing to make it more challenging for us to survive as a business. We get to be a part of this process with TIA, and it’s been great to learn along the way.