Janice Ryan is the 2022 award recipient for momentum.
President and CEO, Rudy’s Transportation Services Inc.
Janice Ryan, president and CEO of Rudy’s Transportation Services Inc., located in Deer Lake, received the Momentum Award, sponsored by McInnes Cooper. The Momentum Award recognizes female entrepreneurs who have demonstrated significant growth or growth potential within a three-year period.
After a successful 21-year career in the province’s fishery, Janice Ryan acquired Rudy’s Transportation Services Inc. in 2020. As president and CEO, Ryan has built an adaptable business that can successfully leverage opportunities for continued growth. Ryan has transformed a small courier service into a critical link in the local supply chain in just two years by working with provincial food producers on cost-effective shipping services.
Ryan considers herself an accidental entrepreneur, but there’s nothing unintentional about her management style. Once she purchased the business, Ryan took a deep dive into all aspects of her new acquisition, learning from her staff and customers. Ryan quickly realized that local food producers needed help finding an in-province, cost-efficient shipping service. A natural problem solver, Ryan met with local farmers and producers to learn how she could help meet their shipping needs. She observed that the local supply chain lacked a cost-efficient transportation and logistics network, preventing local food and beverage producers from expanding their markets and growing their businesses. In addition, she noted that major shipping companies rely on critical infrastructure and local courier services to help them deliver goods across the country.
As a result, Ryan partnered with other shipping companies to act as a subcontractor. She also implemented a biweekly west-to-east coast run, increased residential delivery service, and extended her geographic range by adding new routes. Offering fixed shipping schedules saves her clients 25 to 40 percent off freight costs compared to traditional shipping options, secures her customer base, and fills a gap in the local supply chain.
“NLOWE business advisors were available whenever I needed support. Receiving the Momentum Award is an honour, and I’m proud to be a part of this amazing community of businesswomen.”
In the beginning, Ryan turned to NLOWE for guidance. “I cannot tell you how important it was to have NLOWE right there with me from the beginning,” says Ryan. “They become my friends. Aside from helping me with all my business questions, they cared about me as a person and an entrepreneur and would reach out to me randomly to ask how I was doing, which meant the world to me. I would not be where I am to today without NLOWE.”