Bill Ward Jr. (left) will succeed his father, Bill T. Ward, as president and chief executive officer of Ward Transport and Logistics. Courtesy photo

Ward Transport and Logistics has named a new president and chief executive officer.

Bill Ward Jr. will succeed his father, Bill T. Ward, who retired last year.

He is now the fourth generation Ward to lead the company founded in 1931.

“Our legacy is a huge strength,” Ward Jr. said. “As a company, we have placed a large importance on succession planning over the past decade at all levels of the company. My great grandfather (W.W. Ward) and my grandfather (G. Bill Ward) did the exact same thing. I feel our commitment to succession planning is the reason our company has thrived for 93 years.”

Ward Jr. credits his father’s commitment to the future, steady guidance during tough times and data-driven mindset as having a lasting positive impact on him and the company.

“My father empowered company leaders to make decisions, learn from their mistakes and develop themselves and their people,” Ward Jr. said. “This is why we have such a great leadership team today. I intend to do the same thing. That is a big reason we have been able to keep the ‘family’ atmosphere alive. I, along with my brother and cousins, intend to do the same thing in the fourth generation of leadership of Ward.”

Ward Jr. announced a three-year strategic plan for the company that focuses on four main pillars: Growth coming by the way of geographical expansion, profit improvement and growth of non-LTL verticals, continuing to invest in technology, offering service excellence to the customer and developing the ONE WARD team — making sure it has a family of employees that are safe, trained and happy.

Bill T. Ward said the company has been his “focus and love for many years.”

“When I started in 1982, there were no computers, cell phones, email, or GPS,” he said. “The first technologies that I remember were pagers and voice mailboxes. Interoffice memos, telephone calls, and face-to-face meetings were how business was conducted.”

Bill T. Ward added, “With those industry changes and challenges in the rear-view mirror, now is the time to turn the reins over to a new generation of leaders and leadership.”