Logistics – particularly trucking is a male-dominated world. No one knows that better than Kristy Knichel, President of Knichel Logistics. Kristy is a fearless leader who grew her family business into a major industry player. Nothing was handed to her. Kristy worked for years in just about every area of the company including marketing, sales, HR and finance, where she honed her skills and officially took the helm in 2009. One of her greatest lessons came early on from her family where she learned the value of hard work and independence.
Thanks to Kristy, the company has received numerous awards including Inc Magazine’s top 500 businesses for 5 years; and 7x by the Pittsburgh Business Times (PBT) as “Best Places to Work”. PBT also recognized Knichel Logistics as the fastest growing business, and “Business Women First” company in the area.
Knichel Logistics’ list of industry recognitions reads like a “who’s who” in awards, but ask anyone and they’ll tell you Kristy is most proud of the incredible team she has built. She strongly believes in empowering women to take on leadership roles whether it’s women she brings up the ladder at her company or others she mentors. Kristy has taken the company from $2 million to $80 million in sales, and is excited to grow even more – especially during the COVID pandemic.
Hear more as Kristy shares with Linda Rigano her personal and professional journey.