GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Fifth Wheel Freight (FWF) announced a new Chief Executive Officer to lead one of America’s fastest-growing private companies. Founder and Chairman, Brian Bennett, announced Reese Van Heck as FWF’s new CEO to his team last week in a celebration of the long-term vision of the company.
Van Heck, formally the company’s President, is a Holland, Michigan native and Michigan State University alumni. He started with FWF as an entry-level Logistics Consultant in 2015 before quickly accelerating up the ranks due to his incredible business acumen.
“I am excited to embrace the chance to lead our elite crew and continue to accelerate FWF’s growth. With the recent hire of our Director of Carrier Relations, we will have the ability to deepen our carrier relationships to push FWF into a new era. The partnership focus we are applying will create a multitude of vendor-focused career opportunities for West Michigan. The result will be more dedicated growth, allowing our team to leverage these partnerships for a deeper cultural, customer and community experience.”
Van Heck’s passion and industry expertise will lead FWF, which has surpassed 100 full-time employees in 2021 with 80% year-over-year projected revenue growth. “Our growth has been the result of the hard work and dedication of our great customers, carriers and team members,” Van Heck states. This positions FWF to become a Top 100 company in the logistics and transportation industry, a segment of the economy with more than 17,000 competitors.
“It’s tough to properly describe the joy I’m experiencing through the opportunity to lead this amazing organization. The company is rapidly growing, and to be honest, that is simply the expectation at this point. When we peel back the metrics, awards, and success stories, it becomes clear why our proven growth expectation exists. The smiling faces that greet us every time we enter the office tell the story. Our unified team relentlessly pursues and acquires personal and professional growth, including the growth of the business. It’s very easy to trust the team when every team member exudes excellence.”
FWF has evolved into a top employer in Grand Rapids, the headquarters of the company since 2017, and a top competitor in their industry. Van Heck’s vision and leadership provide a great complement to the foundation built by Bennett, who will remain passionately involved as the company’s Founder and Chairman.
“This opportunity is because of my great support system and incredible colleagues. I am excited to build on the foundation laid by Brian [Bennett], and I cannot thank my team enough for giving me this opportunity for personal and professional development.”
