ABF SERVICE CENTERS RECOGNIZED AS 'BEST OF THE BEST' WITH PRESIDENT'S QUALITY AWARDS

ABF service centers in Vancouver, British Columbia; Altoona, Penn.; Laredo, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah, are scheduled to receive the prestigious President's Quality Award from ABF President and CEO Wes Kemp. The award recognizes service centers most exemplifying the ABF Quality Process, which are considered the "Best of the Best."

"The employees at these four service centers have shown what can be achieved when the principles of the ABF Quality Process are put into practice," said Mr. Kemp. "ABF continues to prosper because of our dedication to serving internal and external customers in a helpful, efficient, innovative, and error-free manner. In this context, these four facilities have earned the right to be called the Best of the Best. I'm looking forward to my visit with each one in celebration of their achievement."

The ABF president and CEO is scheduled to present the awards in Vancouver and Salt Lake City on May 12. He will present the awards in Laredo and Altoona on May 16 and 25, respectively. Each facility is presented with a plaque that resides permanently at their location and a Quality Cup that resides only as long as a facility maintains the distinction. Each ceremony is attended by the ABF Quality Implementation Committee, local employees and special guests, including Arkansas Best Corporation President and CEO Judy R. McReynolds.

All ABF service centers annually undergo extensive evaluations, including a nomination process, a quality awareness survey, an on-site validation audit, and scrutiny by the ABF Quality Implementation Committee. The comprehensive process gauges resource management, damage/loss prevention, customer satisfaction and other key performance indicators for the previous year. The ABF Quality Process uses a five-step problem elimination process: 1) define the problem; 2) fix the problem; 3) identify the root cause; 4) take corrective action; 5) evaluate and follow up. Education through quality seminars, job-skills training, focus groups and designated quality teams have ensured that quality at ABF is a process, not merely a program. Based on principles articulated by the late Philip Crosby, the process emphasizes ongoing prevention rather than end-of-line inspection. Identifying and eliminating the causes of problems improves service and requires no additional expenditure.