Leading by Example
Ileas (Louie) Giankos
Logistics Manager
Some days Louie Giankos feels like an air traffic controller.
Luckily he thrives on the stress, quick decision-making and reward that comes from meeting a client’s needs. “Every day is an adventure,” he says. “The best part is putting a smile on the customer’s face when you’ve done what they asked. They know they can pick up the phone and we’ll do the job, worry free.”
Louie, who was born in the same year Earl Paddock Transportation was founded, moved to the Hamilton area in 1971 and spent his early career in a distribution centre at ED Smith, eventually working his way up to dispatch. Later, he worked for 12 years as a distribution manager in Mississauga and another eight years at a brokerage firm in Stoney Creek.
He found his home at Earl Paddock in 2005.
Louie’s niche is brokerage logistics—moving material from A to B by land, sea, air and rail, using Paddock’s fleet, a specialized third party carrier or a combination of the two. He’s a keen negotiator, tireless problem solver, patient teacher and a walking calculator.
His most challenging job was his first overseas shipment to Nigeria—a two-month long project that required Paddock to get its own certificate to export the product because the customer didn’t have the necessary paperwork. “When they emailed me to say it was received I did a little dance beside my desk,” Louie recalls. “Then it was on to the next job.”
Working for a long-standing family business means a lot to Louie. “It encourages you to do your best so they can have another 50 years of success,” he says. “I’ve been at the mall and people will see me wearing my Paddock jacket, recognize the logo and say, ‘Oh, you work for them? They’re a good company.’ It makes you feel proud.”