Tired of working so hard for others, North Carolina native Michelle Boller pondered the idea of owning her own business. Since the late nineties she worked part-time in trucking and later managed a health‑care office in the Statesville area. “I was running around for all these doctors, and I thought, ‘What could I do that would help others and help myself as well?’”
After a little research and a lot of elbow grease, Boller Logistics opened for business in 2009. Located for the last two years on Charlotte’s northeast side, Michelle has two employees and five agents, which are like a sales and marketing team bringing business back home. She orchestrates the shipment of materials in a variety of trucks across forty-eight states. She’s considered the transportation hub near the Charlotte Douglas Airport as an alternative location but admits to great value in her current location.
“Since I moved from Iredell County to Charlotte, I have seen such growth in my business. This area has so much opportunity if you just reach out and grab it,” she said.
Her proximity to UNC Charlotte has allowed her to take advantage of small business classes and workshops. Besides her online presence, the majority of her business comes from networking. As a certified National Minority Trucking Association (NMTA) member, she works with other minorities, women, and veterans to provide services in the trucking industry.
In 2014, Michelle opened Boller Transport and a year later launched a series of networking events for logistic and transportation professionals. Then in 2016, NMTA named her member of the year.
Does she have advice for other small businesses? “Give. When you give to others, it’ll be given back to you,” Michelle urged. And she just keeps on trucking.
Nominated by My Choice Planning
Photo by Sofi Preslar
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