Q. What do you most want people to know about your company?
A. Lynden is a family of transportation and logistics companies built around a common goal: to develop mutually beneficial relationships with our client partners. We believe that complex transportation problems can be solved in the hands of the right people with the right tools and the right experience.
Q. Where is your company located?
A. While most of the Lynden companies call Alaska and the Pacific Northwest home, the reach of our services and offices extends around the globe. Headquarters is located in Anchorage.
Q. What year was the company founded and by whom?
A. Lynden Transfer was founded in 1906 by Ed Austin in Lynden, WA. Henry Jansen and two partners purchased Lynden Transfer from Ed Austin’s widow in 1947. Lynden pioneered truck delivery to Alaska from the Lower 48 in the 1950s and is still considered the most knowledgeable and experienced in the Alaska market.
Q. What is the company’s primary business sector?
A. The Lynden family of companies offers multi-modal transportation over land, sea and air, freight forwarding, logistics and 3PL services. Our array of transportation choices allow customers to only pay for the speed they need to meet their unique requirements. Lynden has built a reputation of superior service to diverse industries including oil and gas, mining, construction, retail and manufacturing.
Q. Where does your company do business?
A. Lynden provides transportation and logistics services to from and within Alaska, the contiguous United States and offshore locations such as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Russia, Canada, Mexico and Papua New Guinea as well as locations around the globe.
Q. Are there important projects the company is currently a part of or has done recently?
A. We provide transportation services to support development of the Bakken Oil Field Reserve in North Dakota and we provided air transportation and logistics to develop a natural gas pipeline in Papua New Guinea. We also support ongoing major oil and gas development projects in Alaska and Russia.
Q. How many employees does your company have?
A. We have 2,500 employees with an average length of service of approximately 10 years.
Q. Describe the equipment your company might use and are there any new purchases planned?
A. Lynden has a wide variety of equipment specialized to fit any transportation needs, including tractors and trailers for oversize freight, tanker trailers for hauling chemicals or other sensitive liquids, hovercraft, shallow-draft barges for landing in remote areas, barges, air charters, refrigerated trailers and much more. All of our equipment is equipped to meet new emission standards and 90 percent is less than 5 years old. These newer more efficient tractors and ultra-efficient diesel engines have dramatically improved fuel economy and reduced air emissions.
Q. Is your company expanding any of its operations or locations?
A. In response to customer and industry demand in the Bakken Oil Field Reserve, Lynden added scheduled Less-than-Truckload (LTL) service to North Dakota and Oklahoma two years ago. Lynden Transport trucks depart twice weekly from Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Tulsa bound for Williston, ND and points in Canada and Alaska. The service changes were made to give customers more choices with departures and arrivals in this very active market. Lynden has extensive experience moving equipment, supplies, and oversized freight in support of the oil industry in Texas, Alaska and Canada and is putting this expertise to use to support the development of the Bakken Oil Fields. Last year, Lynden created a new company Lynden Air Cargo (PNG) Ltd., to serve customers in Papua New Guinea and also opened a new service center in Brussels, Belgium. We continually look for areas where we can expand Lynden’s operations to better serve our customers in their efforts.
Q. What is your company’s main strength or its edge over the competition in serving the oil industry?
A. Lynden has an extensive history supporting the gas and oil industry. From the trans-Alaska pipeline construction in the 1970s to today’s global oil field operations and exploration, we have built strong and lasting partnerships with customers to help them succeed in this industry. We transport complete drill rigs, camp modules, equipment and supplies and handle complex logistics for the top companies in the business – all played out in some of the toughest environments in the world. We’ve spent decades hauling oversized freight to the Prudhoe Bay and Kenai oilfields of Alaska and now we are serving customers who are developing the Bakken Oil Patch. Compressors, heaters… we haul it north from points in the U.S. or south from Canadian Lynden Transport in Edmonton to Williston, ND and other areas where supplies and equipment are needed. With a variety of intermodal options, we have the expertise, experience, infrastructure and people to handle anything customers need shipped, trucked or flown onshore or offshore. Lynden delivers a total freight transportation package through more than 15 companies; over land, on the water, in the air – or in any combination.
Q. What are the biggest obstacles to completing work the company undertakes?
A. We understand the challenges and serious nature of handling oil and hazardous substances safely and in an environmentally responsible manner. We also understand the permitting and special requirements of moving heavy haul and oversize loads cross-country or internationally. The harsh weather and remote locations of Alaska, Russia and Western Canada and other work sites pose challenges for both people and equipment. International documentation and restrictions are often obstacles to overcome depending on the nature of the project and the location. We pride ourselves on brainstorming innovative solutions to any problem and getting the job done on time and within budget.
Q. What is your company’s safety record?
A. Lynden has a long history of operating safely and responsibly in sensitive and challenging environments. We pride ourselves on our impeccable safety record and continue to strive for zero accidents.
Q. What steps does the company take to ensure a green work environment?
A. Our culture of innovation and efficiency is completely in harmony with our commitment to protect the environment. Lynden’s people, equipment, processes and technology are focused on the efficient use of resources and sustainable operations. Procedures are in place to prevent and react to accidental spills and manage storm water pollution. Materials that are harmful to the environment are stored and handled properly. Spent engine oil, antifreeze, solvent cleaners and batteries are recovered and recycled. We developed trip software to make sure our deliveries are the most efficient they can be with a minimum of idling and fuel consumption. Lynden was founded on principles of integrity and quality and our environmental commitment is based on a common-sense desire to do things right.
Q. Have you received any awards for your efforts?
A. We receive environmental and performance recognition year after year. Just this fall, Alaska West Express became the fourth Lynden company to join the EPA’s SmartWay Transportation Partnership and Lynden Transport was voted No. 1 for on-time service in the annual Quest for Quality Awards. Our companies are continually recognized for environmental excellence and efficient operations. We were the first trucking company to earn the Green Star Award for Alaskan businesses and we have also been named to Inbound Logistics’ Green Supply Chain Partners list and the Top 3PL list year after year. Lynden is a repeat winner in the annual Quest for Quality customer service awards presented by Logistics Management magazine.
Q. Has your company been involved in any community projects or charities events?
A. From sponsoring national events for cancer research to donating the transportation of a sport court for a youth camp in rural Alaska, Lynden gives back in the communities where it does business. In locations all over the world, Lynden employees volunteer for charities and the companies contribute financially and with in-kind services to a variety of worthy causes. In Alaska, Lynden sponsors the Jr. Iditarod each year as well as sponsoring mushers and their dog teams for the annual Iditarod sled dog race.
Q. Does your company have a website?
A. Yes, www.lynden.com.
