News & Updates
Polaris CEO Speaks at Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting
On Tuesday, April 29th, our CEO, Dan Nester, had the honor of serving as a panelist at the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting—an event that brought together influential voices from across the local business landscape.
In a dynamic discussion focused on the evolving economic landscape and its impact on companies in the Toledo region, Dan joined fellow middle market business leaders: Tony Packo, Chief Strategy Officer at Hylant, and Charlotte Dymarkowski, President & CEO of
Foundation Steel to cover topics including national economic trends, trade policy, workforce development, and the outlook for middle market businesses in the face of both challenges andopportunities. Along with this, Dan contributed valuable insight on several key issues, including the ongoing freight recession and its implications for the logistics industry. He also shared his perspective on the unique advantages of hiring talent in Toledo, the importance of regional economic resilience, and how emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence, the expansion of data centers, and the shift toward diversified energy sources—are reshaping the future of logistics.
To begin the discussion, Dan started off by speaking on how from 2013 to now, Polaris has grown to a network of 37000 carriers around the country, and how 75% of sales fall into the medium shippers category, despite seeing 3 straight years of a ‘Freight Recession.’ However, as he says, the “short term pain will result in long term gain.”
The panel discussion then shifted to speaking on the Toledo landscape. Dan spoke on having great success in Toledo, especially with it being “a really big small town. Everyone knows everyone here, which helps in business networking” he says.
Lastly, the panel discussed the future opportunities and challenges in the business environment. Dan first spoke on the rise of Artificial Intelligence, and how Polaris uses AI powered software to help vet and track our carriers.
Dan had a positive outlook on the future opportunities in the Toledo region. He spoke on how Toledo has a lot of legacy infrastructure due to it once being the 26th largest city in America (which in 2020 was Las Vegas). This has provided Northwest Ohio with oil and gas pipelines running through it, with Toledo being the 9th largest oil refining capacity in the country and 2nd largest in the Midwest, as well as a port that used to be ranked in the top 20 in the country by tonnage. Along with this, Toledo has the world’s 11th largest lake right next to it, which should be able to attract more development.
In addition to the panel discussion, the Chamber’s Annual Meeting served as a celebration of the Toledo region’s progress over the past year. The event highlighted key milestones, honored outstanding contributions from individuals and organizations, and set the stage for continued growth and collaboration across the community.
Why focus on the middle market? While only 3% of U.S. companies qualify as middle market businesses, they are economic powerhouses—contributing a remarkable 33% of private sector GDP, according to the National Center for the Middle Market. Events like this shine a spotlight on the critical role these companies play in job creation, innovation, and economic vitality.
We’re proud to see Dan representing Polaris and the logistics industry in such an impactful setting, and we look forward to continuing the conversation around growth, innovation, and the future of business in Toledo
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