Dear Friends,

It is certainly no surprise to any of you at this point that we are dealing with some tough economic times. It doesn’t look like there is going to be any major turn around for some time. During the Holidays, it’s traditional, and at this particular time essential, for everyone to watch out for one another. We are all in this together and as Americans we can pull out of it together.

The JA Frate team is going to do all we can to make sure our partnership is continuously one of value. We are committed to providing service that remains second to none. A number of changes have been initiated in our 2009 Strategic Plan to make sure service continues to be of superior quality. In addition, we have also made the decision to hold our general tariff at the current level as long as it is economically feasible. We understand that times are challenging and are going to work very hard to do all we can to ensure that our partners can “weather the storm”. You can assist us in this endeavor by continuing to call shipments in as early as possible, even if they aren’t ready until later in the day. This will allow us to plan ahead efficiently.

We value your business and we will continue to work very hard to earn it on every shipment. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Joseph M. Alger
President

Let’s Celebrate!

Whether in this season, or any other time of year, please do not be shy about recognizing any one of our employees for their hard work! If someone goes above and beyond for you and/or your company, please, let us hear about it! So often, everyone only shares the negative aspects about other people, companies, etc. It is great to hear the positives and be able to recognize people who deserve it. There is a quick, easy form available to acknowledge excellence. Just visit our website and choose the “Employee Recognition” link: www.jafrate.com/toppicks06.html.

All JA companies have a “Look Who’s Great in ‘08” recognition board for employees. Employees can nominate each other or be nominated by a customer compliment. Each month, all the names are put into a hat and a winner is drawn! That winner receives a reward for their hard work.

An awards banquet is being held this January to recognize employees who have shown distinction in their every day job. In this ceremony, our Driver of the Year for 2008 will be announced! Who will it be this time? Will it be your driver?

It is because of people like this, JA Frate, JA Logistics and JA Nationwide have been able to hold strong in 2008. Please, continue to bring forward the positive experiences you have with JA!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Happy Holidays and warm wishes to all of our customers and their families! Can you believe 2008 is almost gone? In our June Newsletter it was mentioned how fast the year has flown – and now it’s already over! To get in the Holiday Spirit, JA Frate was a Toys for Tots drop off site for gifts for children in less fortunate families. JA Frate sponsored a family through Hearts of Gold, a local non-profit organization. They received everything from popcorn to presents! Thank you to everyone who participated and brought the abundance of toys we were able to pass along to children in need.

Here’s wishing everyone will be able to spend time with their family during this time and happiness and health to you and your families. Thank you for supporting us through the years and in all our ventures.

“May your walls know joy, may every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility” – Mary Anne

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness” – Helen Keller Radmacher

The New Marketing Material Has Arrived!

It’s been a long time coming, but it has arrived! Just let us ask you one question, how do you spell Frate? We spell it different because we do it different. The new material includes a folder that encompasses all three JA companies and their services, an insert about each company and a Points List for JA Frate. It includes everything from the history of JA to what is new and exciting.

You will notice some familiar faces. Our drivers posed for shots to be in our material! Everyone was very excited to get the latest and greatest information out there…with our faces! It was a joint effort by many people in many departments to get this up and off the ground. The venture was started back in the spring and took a lot of planning to complete.

Thank you for your patience and enjoy the new material!

JA Frate is Awarded “Top Small Winning Workplaces 2008”!!!

It’s official! On October 13th, 2008, JA Frate was awarded one of the “Top Small Workplaces 2008” Awards as voted on by The Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces. The articles can be found in The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune and the Northwest Herald. We are very proud to receive this prestigious award!

Winning Workplaces is a nonprofit business support agency located in Evanston, IL. They began with nominations from fellow small business owners. It started from a list of over 400 contestants. From there, it was narrowed down to 35 finalists. Fifteen companies were chosen to receive the “Top Small Workplaces” Award for 2008. It started as a very detailed questionnaire to be filled out and went on to testimonials from employees and customers. JA Frate is the only transportation company in the winner’s circle. We are one of only two companies in the Chicago-land area. If you wish to nominate a small business, please do! The website link is: www.winningworkplaces.org/topsmallbiz/index.php.

Thank you to all of our fantastic customers! Without you, JA Frate would not have been chosen to receive this major award. We would like to express our gratitude to everyone and express thanks for all the warm congratulations!