Making an Impression

A decade ago, John Brown’s Vistage Chair challenged him to set a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal.” Brown’s BHAG? “Primary Freight will be a $100 million company within 10 years.”

“My sister, Kathy, and I were shareholders in a freight company that got bought out. The new owners minimized our shareholding,” says Brown. “It left a bitter taste in our mouths. We launched Primary Freight because we felt our primary purpose was to serve our customers and the people who work for us.”

The duo has never wavered from that mission. Nearly 40% of Primary Freight’s staff have 10 to 26 years of service, and the company works with groups like Habitat for Humanity and The Salvation Army. It’s been voted one of the Best Places to Work by the Los Angeles Business Journal, named to the Inc. 5000 list twice, and is a five-time nominee for the Orange County Business Journal’s Best Family-Owned Business.

In 2013, Primary Freight was at a crossroads —transitioning from a transactional to an asset-based company and later becoming an integrated logistics company.

“My Vistage group gave me insights I wasn’t getting elsewhere, helped me embrace change and become more strategic about this critical transition,” says Brown.

Simultaneously, Brown wanted to ensure the company’s legacy. After some disappointing private equity opportunities, a more exciting path appeared during a Vistage webinar with CSG Partners: an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). In 2023, Primary Freight rewarded all 72 employees with company shares.

“Profits are important, but I believe that taking care of your people and making a difference in the community is the responsibility of every business,” he says.