Women in Logistics: Cori Eckley-Ritchards Leadership, Growth & Transportation Success

In this Member Spotlight episode, we sit down with Cori Eckley-Ritchards, Vice President of Natco Transportation, a third-party logistics (3PL) company based in Arlington, Texas.

As a fourth-generation transportation professional, Cori shares her unique journey in the logistics industry, the lessons learned from leading a family business, and how integrity and transparency continue to drive Natco Transportation's success.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

✔ What a 3PL logistics company actually does  
✔ How transportation and freight brokerage have evolved over the years  
✔ Why building strong customer relationships still matters in a digital world  
✔ The growing role of women in transportation and supply chain leadership  
✔ How a small business can maintain a strong culture and competitive advantage 
✔ Why Natco Transportation chose NuvoDesk as its business home

Whether you're interested in logistics, entrepreneurship, leadership, or business growth, this episode offers valuable insights from a seasoned industry professional.

About  Cori Eckley-Ritchards:
Cori is the Vice President of Natco Transportation, a transportation brokerage and logistics company specializing in freight solutions, project coordination, and transportation management.

https://natcotransport.com/

NATCO Facebook Page

NATCO LinkedIn Page

NATCO X Page

This episode is part of NuvoDesk Member Spotlight, a podcast series highlighting the entrepreneurs, professionals, and businesses growing inside the NuvoDesk community.

Learn more about NuvoDesk at:
🌐 https://nuvodesk.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

One thing that I found in this industry when I first came in, it was very phone central. That people in this industry didn't necessarily get out and learn about their customers' business or put a face and a name together. And I it was very intriguing to me how it was very kind of telemarketing based, as it's how I would describe it. And it was a different, it was a different dynamic of business at that time in the brokerage arena. And I feel that coming in and learning about the customer's business, seeing their operations, taking a tour, you learn so much and you give them that platform to say, what how can I help you? How can I take these pain points away?

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Welcome back to the Nouveau Desk Members Spotlight, where we highlight our incredible members who are entrepreneurs, business leaders, and business owners to talk business and to hear their story about how they are becoming successful and how Nouveaux Desk had a part in that. Today I'd like to welcome on the show Mrs. Corey Eckley Richards, who is the vice president of Natco Transportation. Welcome, Corey. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for inviting me. Awesome. So I've been so excited. I know it's taken a long time for us to record, but ha what is Natco? Tell me about yourself and how long you've been in the industry first.

SPEAKER_01 1:25

I've been in the industry for 23 years. I'm the fourth generation in transportation. And that was not my first career path, or I should say choice career path, but I'm a firm believer that things happen for a reason. And sometimes we're not meant to know why. And I'm thankful for all the people and all the experiences that I've had over the years because it has helped shape me as a person, but it has also helped me be successful within the transportation industry.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

So that many years, almost three decades, is how how long Natco's been around. What is Natco? Can you c tell our audience for who who hasn't heard of you or who uh are not familiar with logistics companies, kind of what you guys do?

unknown 2:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Natco Transport is a third-party logistics firm. And what that means is we don't own our own assets. And so we are a broker. And so we're basically the middleman. We're matching available freight from shippers or shippers or customers and to available drivers and available trucks. And so our our uh core carriers are anybody who owns an owner operator of a single truck with a single driver, an entrepreneur, very similar to me, all the way up to hundreds of trucks. We partner with a wide array of uh customer or carriers who are um do d based on equipment need or what is our level of business at that time or what the demands are. And so we are um we so we basically are middleman of matching available freight to available drivers. And so we're coordinating the movement of freight. Um so when people hear transport, they automatically ask how many trucks do I own? I don't own any trucks. That's not where that's not the segment of transportation that we work in.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Okay, great. Thank you for the little explanation. I'm sure there's a lot more parts than that. We won't get into all that right now, but you mentioned that you you kind of were the fourth generation, kind not kind of, you are the fourth generation in the transportation industry. So you grew up in it. What was your goal when, say, getting out of high school and going into college? Did you plan on this? And then how did it all fall into transition to where now you're the vice president of the company?

SPEAKER_01 3:26

Um coming out of high school, I was obviously I grew up, both my parents were self-employed in entrepreneurs and in the transportation industry. They owned a truck line together. And my dad was a truck driver from early on and put himself through college being a truck driver. So um I I had that background. And so when you grow up at home as a small child in a small town of Nebraska, in Nebraska, you my our I mean, our dinner conversations and our life revolved around small business. Yeah. And so I always had a had an interest in business. And so my my path after high school was to get a degree and go to college and be in business of some sort. Work for a business, and I I told people all the time, I said, I am not, I'm not coming back to work in transportation. That's not my forte. I was interested because I grew up in it, but it wasn't I wanted to do something on my own or do something different. Right. Um, and I didn't know what that was at that time. And so I got a degree in business with a minor in finance because I I I do like financial background and learn that. And it was it was interesting. Numbers make sense, right? I like numbers. So um from there I went and I really didn't know what I wanted to do when I graduated um college. And my dad had some health problems at that time, and he asked if I would come back to work for him. Um, because during college I couldn't work for him. That was one of the rules of going to college. I had to work for other people and experience working elsewhere. And under someone else, it's not family. That is important.

SPEAKER_02 4:46

I wouldn't have thought that's important, but I can see how it works.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

So much, so much valued that. Yeah. Um and so he said, I I'm willing to pay for grad school if you would come back to work for me. And I said, sure, as long as as long as I don't have to stay after I'm done, or I'm not in debt for you for the rest of my life or a graduate degree. No kidding. And he's like, Nope, I need my help. I need your help right now. And so I came back and I got my graduate degree in 18 months. Wow. That's incredible. I was rolling. And um, then I was looking for a job um elsewhere. I was looking to exit at that time because I had my degrees, I had I had fulfilled the two years, and my dad suddenly passed away at that time. So sorry. Thank you. And so with my mom owning a truck line and they had a couple other businesses as well, um, I agreed to stay. And I said I'm gonna help her transition and do what I need to do for another couple years. And that was in 2005, and I was 24. Here we are today. So it's been some years, and so um it that was a huge learning curve for me, obviously. Um, because at that point I was commuting per se from Nebraska to Texas. Oh my. I was young, um, obviously dealing with the aspects of my dad passing such three, um, trying to just get a grasp on life and business at that time. And so it was a very much of a struggle. And some of it's a little bit of a blur. I bet the the trauma response kind of does that. Yes. Um, so that's how I kind of came into the transportation industry. Um, and I found that it wasn't just transportation, it was business. And every day was different. It provided me some excitement. Um, it wasn't routine. I know I'm not a good fit for working at like an accounting. The monotonous day-to-day box job. I'm not I'm not good there. So I did learn that in the process of going through this um this roadmap.

SPEAKER_02 6:45

Well, that's wonderful. And you you mentioned that your dad asked you to come back because he needed help. So you're you're trying to help in an industry that you haven't actually been immersed in yet, right? And then the passing. So I'm very sorry. But can I ask, was NATCO originally in Nebraska and moved to Texas or was it originally in Texas?

SPEAKER_01 7:05

It was always been based in Arlington.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Arlington, Texas.

SPEAKER_01 7:08

Headquarters has always been in Arlington, and that's one of the reasons that we're still here. That is wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 7:13

Um, okay, so before I get off in the weeds again, let me stay on track. So you mentioned that logistics can be complex um in many different ways. So, what are some of the biggest transportation challenges your clients face today and how do you assist with that?

SPEAKER_01 7:29

I would say it's uh they have a multitude of challenges. Um, they may have a scope of work that requires a lot of demands and a lot of timing issues, equipment specializations, and um anything from timing of production to timing of loading to crane appointments. Um, we also do a large segment in disaster recovery. So we essentially storm chase too. So when you're when you're chasing a storm or you know, run out trying to outrun a storm, that comes with a whole nother complexity of what goes into that and where are we going. So we like to say we think outside the box. No kidding. I like I always say the more complex, the more challenges you give me, the more I I love it. Um, because I like a good puzzle and I want to try to deliver on me 100% of what you want, but I also am very upfront of saying, hey, we're not gonna turn down any options and we're gonna brief you on what we have available, what can fit, and if there's some flex on both sides, we're willing to do that. And so I like that piece of the business of educating the customer on what what we do to problem solve for them because clear expectations, kind of yeah, and just a level of integrity. I always have run NATCO on a level of it's integrity. What you say, you stay true to your word. And if you have to deliver bad news to a customer, I would much rather deliver bad news than try to hide behind something and it it doesn't pan out. Um and specifically specifically in today's industry of business in transportation, there's a high level of thrott fraud and theft that has kind of snuck into our our industry. Wow. And there's some bad actors, and so I'm a big proponent of we got to we gotta keep them out and we gotta work with people that we trust and we know. And so I I say this all the time. I would rather say we don't have a truck secured than secure somebody that I'm I'm questionable about.

SPEAKER_02 9:19

Absolutely. That that gut feeling and your integrity, would you say that's what's attributed to the success of Natco thus far?

SPEAKER_01 9:26

Yeah, I always say trust your gut. And if something doesn't seem right, take a step back and reevaluate.

SPEAKER_02 9:31

That's that's wonderful. That's wonderful advice for any business owner, right? Um so what does a successful partnership between Natco and a client typically look like? If if you had an ideal client, how how does that look?

SPEAKER_01 9:43

Our our clients range from a small business that kind of looks like Natco with maybe you know less than 10 employees, all the way up to publicly traded companies with thousands of employees, sometimes international. I got a couple international clients that have international spectrum. We don't do international at shipping at NATO. Okay, but um it's it's interesting because I would say that if you ask any one of those, they say that they know me personally. They I I they just know who I am. I'm personable. Um that relationship is there. Relationship is key. And I have found and Shirkwana and Brittany and I talk, there's my team. Um, they we've talked about how that interaction is so important because they they see the personalization and they also see the relationship that we're human too. They they know me personally, and I we've done a few assessments on our on our clientele and our customers to see how do we fit and had outside sources, you know, conduct that review.

SPEAKER_00 10:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

And reading that information is it says personally know NACCO. And and and I like that because we're all human and I'm ultimately interested in our business too. I want to know what their pain points are because at the end of the day, I want to help them. And the greatest compliment that I can get from my customer says when I give it to NACO, I don't worry about it.

SPEAKER_02 10:59

Wow. And if they have any concerns, they know the transparency is there. Yes. That is incredible.

SPEAKER_01 11:05

And the in the communication, I mean I I get countless feedback from well, I I use another provider or and I know I'm not everybody's sole provider, that's just not how this industry works. Ideally, yeah. But yeah, I want to be one of them. Um, but they say, you know, your communication is top-notch. Is it's quick, it's effective. And sometimes I think it's too quick. Um I I know get used to it. Yeah, some get used to it and they're like, it's been 30 minutes and I haven't heard from you. Um so but I'd rather have that than somebody who says NACCO doesn't communicate.

SPEAKER_02 11:36

Absolutely. Uh I mean, it seems like, well, I know that your most valuable clients are ones that are referred to you. Those are the ones that that buy and trade from you and refer your business. So the fact that you've built the entire company on that with that integrity is very impressive, especially as a female. This is a a male-dominated industry from what I remember. Yes. Is that typically right?

SPEAKER_01 12:00

It's it's very much male-dominated. However, it's been great to see the evolution of females entering the transportation industry. Um, back in 08, I attended a conference for brokers in San Antonio, and there was a women's and logistics luncheon. So I went and there was maybe 30 people in this really tiny room, and it was great. And some of the people that I met there, I'm still friends with today. Wow. And have been great mentors to me throughout this journey. And now I went to one in April at our another conference, the same conference, but it's an annual event, and there had to be 200 women in the room. And wow, it's great to see that evolution of women are moving into supply chain and in in transportation uh fields, and it's anything from sales, account development, business analysis to dispatch operations, technology. Technology is booming in our industry, so it's great to see that entrance into the industry because it is so different from when I came in.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

I I'm sure, absolutely. But you know, I I was just thinking as you were talking about that, you know, back when you were younger and your dad was leading the business. Uh I feel like a lot of our wives and our partners when in these male-dominated industries really have a lot of say in how you're doing the company or helping with the company. So now it's as if n the women are coming to light more and taking that, you know, I am the one that's making this happen. Do you feel like that's the case?

SPEAKER_01 13:25

Yes. And and I and I kind of saw that on a side note, like after my dad passed away, my mom and my dad ran a truck line, an actual asset-based truck line in Nebraska that was a specialized uh niche market of transportation. And my mom continued to manage that for 13 years after my dad passed away and grew it. And I always called her mom and the boys because it was literally her and a team of drivers and diesel mechanics.

SPEAKER_02 13:47

Oh, so it's natural for you. You just have it on both sides, the business and the just the leadership in general. So that's amazing. And congratulations on being one of those women in the room from beginning to now. Absolutely. So I do have another question on your entrepreneurial journey. Corey, can you tell me what about Natco um separates you guys in a different way? So you mentioned the importance of being proactive and risk management. Can you tell me more about that and why this is so important for Natco and the growth of the company?

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Absolutely. One thing that I found in this industry when I first came in, it was very phone central that people in this industry didn't necessarily get out and learn about their customers' business or put a face and a name together. And I it was very intriguing to me how it was very kind of telemarketing based, as how I would describe it. And it was a different, it was a different dynamic of business at that time in the brokerage arena. And I feel that coming in and learning about the customer's business, seeing their operations, taking a tour, you learn so much and you give them that platform to say, uh, what how can I help you? How can I take these pain points away? I mean, as simple as there's two entrances to our facility, and the trucks cannot make the turn in turn one, and they keep doing it.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

And something that small can keep someone.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

And then and asking, you know, why I'm here, do you mind if I take a picture? And this is how we will communicate to as we're coordinating that driver of this is do not turn into the first entrance, you must go to the second, and here's a here's a picture to help you.

SPEAKER_02 15:30

And you're doing all of this on the front end when you're initially kind of meeting with clients and things like that, and then your team manages with the care and enthusiasm I'm sure you have, um, on the the other end of it.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Facilitating that order and carrying it out. Um, that's where the transition I kind of passed the baton per se, right to Shriquana and Brittany in operations. And then we work together. Obviously, if they say, Hey, is this a solution or is this gonna be is this work for you? Is this an option? And we we make that communication. Um and I want the customers involved in that if it's a viable option. I'm gonna definitely I just had that conversation before I came in here.

SPEAKER_02 16:07

So Well, uh, which which conversation was that?

SPEAKER_01 16:09

With just I had an option and I wanted to make sure that it met their needs and and the scope of work. And they said, Yeah, absolutely, let's let's run what's run with this. And so we did.

SPEAKER_02 16:18

That's awesome. And if if the viewers haven't caught on already, you are a completely female team. Oh yeah. So so how is that dynamic? Is is it working for you guys? Is it working well for you guys?

SPEAKER_01 16:29

It is, and if I mean, some I mean, obviously this some of the people here know us, and we're we can be very, very, um, we're very bold personalities in our own little ways, but we work well together. And I I think internal office culture is a lot, it's a beast to manage. And I had to really come through the trenches when I came to NATCO with that. And so it's great to have a sense of of community within our small team and also know our roles and our strengths and weaknesses as an individual.

SPEAKER_02 16:59

Wow, that it's incredible that you can really um build up a team that that's maybe some I don't know if Brittany and your team have been in the transportation industry before, but you guys have a wonderful working dynamic. And with that being said, since we are at Nouveau Desk, can you tell me more about how Nuvo Desk has helped attributed to your team and the flow of how you do business?

SPEAKER_01 17:24

Yes. I mean, when we were looking to make a change within our office, um coworking had always been kind of in the back of my mind. That was really when coworking was just kind of perking its head out. Yeah, and you had some big players in the market, but they weren't necessarily in Arlington. And be that was part of my my key is we've been in Arlington forever, and I can't really uproot this kind of that's the staple of the company. Okay. And also from a commute standpoint with my team, and we were just we've always been in Arlington. And um, so looking at options was it was kind of limited at that time. And so I looked early on into like when my I was a year out plus with my my lease at the time, but I knew I needed to do something different going forward for our office structure. And co-working always said, hey, that I'm like, I like the dynamic of this. And so what Nouveau Desk has provided us is just the big office feel, but for a small company. And I love the structure of I have a private office, but I'm I and I do like I can have my own private if I need to have a discussion or if I need to be on a call, I can shut my door, but my team is right there. The open glassway offices was one of my biggest attractions to the place. Really? And knowing that I can open my door across the hall to my team and literally walk less than 10 feet and or or yell across the hall like I normally do. No one heared you, I promise. And that's why we're in the back. Um, but that was something that was very attractive to me is that we still had our office, but it was within a big box co-working type space. And it was modern, it had the amenities of like a large company or a large building, right? But it wasn't on us and it was a shared resource. I mean, as simple as the internet's included. I mean, that was huge for me. Wow.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

And that was what, six years ago? You guys have been with us for six months. Wow. Incredible timing on that, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Yeah. And trust me, there's a little few sleepless nights there of like, is this gonna work or how are we gonna do this? But it was is impeccable timing. It was a blessing in disguise, maybe. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 19:34

So you mentioned flexibility and the amenities here. So um, from your perspective, why does our uh office approach or what you mentioned was modern approach, how how does that work for you and your business and and how why is that important to you?

SPEAKER_01 19:48

And I would say it provides, it helps feed the culture of my team. Um it gives them that office feel, but uh as you know, we're a pretty casual team. Um we're we're not corporate America over at my place. And so it still gives us that vibe, but we're comfortable here. It's a com comfortable place to come to work. We still have our private quarters. Um, we love our location in the building because we're not up front. It's and and we love that the team that building is managed too. I mean, like people can't just wander into our office. And that was something that we had at our old building. Um, we didn't, I mean, being in a you know, class B second floor retail space or office space in uh Arlington, you didn't have that. Right. So having some of that um added features of not only security, but also the dynamic of a business has been very beneficial to us. And just having the available to flex up, flex down. I mean, if I need to have a conference room, we we have it. I don't have to have a dedicated space within my lease space to do that. And and to it that's just a great feature for being able to flex up, flex down, or whatever is going on on our agenda that day, it's it's available to us.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

So you can bring your sport coat and throw it on in the media room and then go back and put your slides on in your office, which we all do. Right for sure. Well, that's wonderful to hear, and I'm glad you guys have been with us so long because as we've seen you grow, you've seen us grow too. You've seen the many different changes in Nouveau Desk, and and hopefully that we're helping you to grow as a business as well, because that that is our goal in mind, right? At the end of the day, and I hope you guys filled that. So, what would you say to other business owners who would be considering Nouveaux Desk for a space for their business or if they're just starting their entrepreneurial journey? Um, would you refer them to Nouveau Desk? And why?

SPEAKER_01 21:30

Absolutely, because I think it meets a need of an individual entrepreneur, regardless of their size, even just the ability to go work in a space that is shared. I think that's great. Um, I actually started out that way in my secondary office in Houston is as a shared desk. So I've experienced that side as well of where I need a place to go when I'm not here in the DFW market. So I encourage everybody to even just try those day passes to acclimate, you never know how how you're gonna like it and what it's gonna involve. To or the partnerships that you're going to be able to learn or network with. And I also think it brings a sense of you have a brick and mortar area to go to. I'm a big proponent of working in the office. I I love hybrid. I think that's great too. And we've utilized that when need be with our small team. Um, but I do think that when you say I have an office, there's a there's a sense of like there's a stamp of approval of significance there. In in our business of our industry, there's a lot of home-based and a lot of individuals working remote. And I think that's great. But I also Wasn't there maybe a stigma behind it? There's a little bit, and I think it's great. And I've always said I have a brick and mortar building. I mean, you can you can find me on the web, you can find my address, you can map it to Nouveau Desk co-working. We're in a building. And I and I do like that aspect of the culture of the transportation industry and where we fit within our team of where does where does our piece go within that puzzle of showing the professionalism of having a professional office that's modern and it's kind of the cutting edge of being coworking as well.

SPEAKER_02 23:05

Well, we love that. We we want it to be because the the world is tech savvy now, right? Very much. I mean, but it's also very boxed, like you mentioned earlier, being in a box like at a banking and a cubicle every day. The the open concept for us is something that I enjoy working here, and I think a lot of our members and your staff included um probably enjoy as well. You're not stuck in the office all day beside four walls, and I hope that we continue to grow with you, of course. Um, so uh um to kind of wrap things up, I I always ask every um guest I have on the show, what's one piece of advice that you would give to a business owner or someone maybe entering the transportation industry um that you wish you would have had back when you were 25 out of grad school?

SPEAKER_01 23:54

You know, I actually had I actually had some bit of advice on given to me. Um I'm I'm still close friends of a couple of my dad's business colleagues that are in transportation back in Nebraska. And one of them I can call at a heart heartbeat and say, Hey, would you do this or how would you how would you tackle this? Anything from a business related problem to financial, you know, any question regarding that. And he he's very brutally honest with me, but in a good way, he's a good encourager too. And he told me, I think I was probably in my mid to early to mid-30s, and I don't even know how we got on topic, but he asked me, he said, What were your 20s like? And I said, not fun, not fun at all. And and being a close friend of my dad's, he obviously knew my my my your story. Yeah, remember my story. He knew he knew me when I was four.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

So he he knew that, and I said they weren't fun. And he goes, remember that. He said, remember the work and the grit that you had to put in in your 20s, and so celebrate those like those little successes and always take every experience and take everything as a learning opportunity. So as you get into your 40s and you can look back and say, Hey, I did it, or I learned from that, or that that was worth the fight, and and then run with it. And so I always go back to say 20s weren't fun, 30s were a little bit better, 40s are looking really good.

SPEAKER_02 25:19

And that's okay, old enough to know better, and now you can take some vacation time. So, with that being said, what's on the horizon for Natco? What's next?

SPEAKER_01 25:29

You know, we we're very cautious about our growth and our team because I do value the culture, I do value our dynamics, um, I like the segment we work in. We can obviously grow and do more, and but we're just very strategic on how we bring in new people to our team. We I want them to be a team fit more than anything and to fit within our core business and what we do. And so we've been we spend a lot of time discussing what does that look like. And so I don't envision us to implode to be this huge company by no means. I like the small business culture and small business operations. So we're just looking to either grow a little bit and grow grow strategically and grow comfortably within our team and m manage that effectively.

SPEAKER_02 26:13

Uh that's very good advice as well to all the business owners out there. I feel like you have to have a certain sense of a master of none, and I forget what the phrase is, but you know what I'm saying. You guys are very it seems like you have your team very focused on really nurturing what you already know and making that top of the line. And I think that separates you guys from a lot of businesses in any industry, right? Because you lose that culture, you lose that relationship like we have. I I love learning about these businesses, but you guys teach me something every day that I should learn. And so we appreciate you guys as well. And we hope to see your growth in the next year, whatever it may be. We we hope that you're happy here at Nouveau Desk. And we encourage you to keep growing with us.

SPEAKER_01 26:57

Well, thank you. We do appreciate everything you guys bring to the table. And you guys are, I mean, constantly looking for ways to help the entrepreneurs and businesses within the Nouveau Desk, you know, attendants or guests or however you you phrase it. And so we like to see that because sometimes you can feel like you're on an island being a small business owner. And I know I feel that way at times of like, okay, I don't have that executive team or that executive management team to tell me what I can improve on or what I should be doing differently, or is this am I wasting my time on this project? Or is this a more feasible project for NATCO? So having those networking or having that opportunity to be more involved is huge for small businesses.

SPEAKER_02 27:34

Thank you so much for for allowing us to provide it to you too. And to all of our listeners out there, if you would like to get in touch with NATCO or inquire about their services or just speak with Corey directly, please use the links below in the um bio of this podcast. And Corey will get back to you, or someone on her team will definitely get with you and help you in any way they can. Um, if you are interested in space or you're just a business owner that needs a quiet area to focus, um please feel free to contact Nuva Desk directly and be featured on the member spotlight as well. And please remember Nouveaux Desk, we're not just a workspace, we're also a growth space. Thank you.