Al Wojdak Congratulations “A Salute to Those Who Make a Difference.”

Dedicated to our Internal & External Customers, the future of our company.
Hello Readers,
Its ghouls and goblins time
so make sure you are ready
for some Halloween fun!
Don’t forget to find Perry’s
moustache. If you find it in
this issue, email your guess
to Tom Mroz at tmroz@customco.com no later than Friday, Oct. 18th. Participate
in the newsletter by sending
suggestions, restaurant reviews or sell your stuff, without having to officially join
our team. We look forward
to hearing from you!
Thank you,
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
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Experience The Difference
Al Wojdak Retirement
1
Safety Award
2
Two Soldiers & a Marine
3
Training for a Race
5
Custom University
6-7
Custom Cares Charity
7
Daylight Savings Time
8
Salmon Charter
9
Sports
10-11
Recipes
12-13
Halloween Article
14-15
16
Credits
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
Congratulations
Al Wojdak
“A Salute to Those Who Make a Difference.”
Retirement: That’s when you return from work one day and say,
“Hi, Honey, I’m home - forever.”
Back in February of 1986, an ambitious young man decided to
start a transportation company designed to provide World-Class service while only making one call
to do it all. This aspiring man named Perry, knew he would have to rely on the help of a committed
driver to meet and exceed his dream. Fortunately, he hired the formidable Al Wojdak! (the very first
Custom hire)
Al has been driving for The Custom Companies since Day One. From middle of the night runs
to Wisconsin and Indiana, Al has always been there to Make It Happen! And when the Los Angeles
terminal opened, Custom counted on Al to make the cross-country trek. Al has always been one of
the most Loyal, Dedicated, and Dependable employees Custom has ever known! He is Customer
First through and through and will do whatever it takes to get the job done. No matter what is asked
of him, he is always there and ready to assist. Perry has relied on Al to perpetuate his business and
bring his dream to reality. Al has become the foundation of his driver fleet. If another driver needs
assistance or information, they turn to Al for guidance as he is always there for his fellow associates,
too. Al’s leaving left a huge void that cannot be replaced! All of us will greatly miss you! We wish you
only the Best in this new chapter of your life!
Congratulations Al!! You have left your indelible mark, we will miss your professional expertise
and your friendship and wish you only success and happiness in your future endeavors - may they
be all that you hope for!
My first day at Custom, 24 plus years ago, Al was the one I spent my entire day with. I went on a
driver ride with him. He asked me if I needed or wanted to stop for lunch that day in advance before
going on his route with him and I left it up to him. Well….needless to say, he did NOT want to stop at
all that day and wanted to get done with his route. He advised me he usually never stops for lunch. Boy
oh boy, I should have said yes that day. We started at 7am and didn’t get back into the building until
after 5pm. I was starving the whole day and he told me to toughen it out…….thank God I will never
have to go through that again or suffer from starvation! He is a great guy and was very popular with
his customers on his route. He truly was a company man and a great guy as well. He will be truly miss
by his peers, his fellow coworkers, and the customers he developed relationships with. His friendship to
me will be cherished for a lifetime. Good luck to you Al and I will miss you! Enjoy retirement and may
God Bless you forever! ~ Tony Beltrano
“I’m going to miss Al’s gentle grumblings every morning! Thank you Al for being an integral part of
Custom’s success and for ALWAYS getting the job done!” ~ Rocky Caylor
On February 4th, 1989, I began my career as the Controller of The Custom Companies. My very first
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
?
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
Did
You
Know
• Almost two-thirds
of the earth’s surface is
covered by water. If the
earth were flat, water
would cover everything
in a layer two miles
deep!
• The lead in pencils,
really graphite, is made
of the exact same thing
as diamonds. Both are
pure carbon which just
formed under different
pressures and temperatures. Intense heat and
pressure form the carbon atoms into crystals
making diamond, while
lesser heat and pressure
form the carbon into
sheets making graphite.
• Geologists have discovered there seems to
be more water miles
deep between the rocks
of Earth’s mantle than
in all the oceans of the
world. The intense pressure of the tons of rocks
above keeps the hot
water from turning to
steam and escaping.
If you were to place the
planet Saturn in a big
enough bowl of water, it
would float!
• About 20 percent of
the earth’s land is made
up of desert, and the
world’s largest desert
is the Sahara of North
Africa.
• On a clear night, the
human eye can see between 2,000 and 3,000
stars in the sky.
Water is the only substance on earth that is
Page 2
assignment was to ride along on one of our trucks and learn about our business. As I approached
Truck#L027720 I saw a big, burly man with a full head of darkish blond hair next to the truck with
a huge smile on his face. I introduced myself and found out I would be riding with Al Wojdak all day.
After being told “not to touch anything” I climbed aboard and off we went. After first stopping for donuts and coffee (Al said we would need some nourishment to get us thru the morning) we arrived at
our first delivery. I remember Al expertly backing this long trailer down a narrow alley to get to their
dock, just slightly clipping a couple of trash cans along the way. We dropped off a couple of boxes but
as I started going back to the truck, Al said “hold on.” We then chit chatted with the dock manager and
had another cup of coffee with him. We then headed for our
next delivery but on the way stopped for… OK, I could keep
this little story going for the whole day but it would just be a
story; funny but not true. As a matter of fact I learned how
hard a job it is being a truck driver that day. We stopped at
14 customers that morning delivering a full trailer full of
freight, then took a quick 15 minute lunch. He didn’t want
to stop but I insisted and told him I would buy him lunch.
In the afternoon we stopped at another 10 or 12 customers and picked up more freight which eventually filled the
trailer. We headed back to 950 Supreme Dr. around 5:30 Jason Esser, Al Wojdak, Bob Zdych, Rocky Caylor
and I was pooped to say the least. But Al was still his bubbly
self, keeping up with nonstop chatter. I’ll always remember that ride. I hope only the best for Al during
his retirement. Have a long and happy one. Congratulations, Al! ~ Tom Mroz
Retirement is like a long vacation in Las Vegas. The goal is to enjoy it the fullest, but not so fully
that you run out of money.
Safety Professional
of the Year!
By Rocky Caylor
Mr. Perry Mandera, owner of The Custom Companies, Inc. and executive board
member of the ITA, Illinois Trucking Association, presented our Safety Manager,
Mark Dannhauser with the ITA’s award
“Safety Professional Of The Year”. During
the sales meeting. Mr. Mandera stated that
in his 20 years as a board member of the
ITA this award has never been given out. Mark manages the safety team for Custom Transport,
Inc., and is known state-wide for his vast knowledge of the Hazardous Materials regulations. Custom Transport won the ITA Great West Casualty award for the safest fleet of it size in 2009
and again for 2012, which was presented at this year’s 2013 Illinois State Truck Driving Championship banquet. Mark has over the past few years, been a part of the ITAs, TDC, Truck Driving
Championship committee, so our drivers have a forum to show their safe driving skills competing against others state-wide. Mark on behalf of the Custom Company family, we congratulate
you and thank you for making our roads safer.
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
Page 3
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
“C O OK I N G
UP A DREAM”
Two Soldiers and
a Marine
Submitted by John Santoro
While enjoying the benefits of their tastefully created barbecue one evening, the three
combat veterans decided to pursue a culinary career together and share their barbecue talents and scrumptious creations with the rest of the world.
After an exchange of ideas between the three Vet’s they agreed to open a mobile catering
company. This novel idea brought them to the door step of none other, than Dave Raymond, the prestigious owner of Sweet Baby Ray’s restaurants and catering.
Dave was immediately impressed with their idea and business plan, and agreed to assist and
mentor Dan Elsner and his cohorts in pursuit of their collective dream. After consulting with
Dave the three approached the Illinois State Crime Commission, an organization that prides
itself in assisting returning veterans in the finding and identifying of employment opportunities. The Illinois State Crime Commission immediately directed them to an ex-Marine who
has received multiple awards for his assistance in many different areas of philanthropy, but
particularly, with veterans and needy children.
Perry Mandera, a fellow Marine, and sole owner of the Custom Companies,
once again provided the needed assistance to bring the dream of these returning disabled
Vet’s to a reality.
Currently they are operating successfully, as “Two Soldiers and a Marine,” in their mobile
food business.
These Vets have created their
own legacy, by not only operating a successful business but
by setting an example for other
decorated combat veterans to
follow in their footsteps.
When you see their distinctive
mobile food truck, easily discernible by the distinguished
dress blue colors of the US
Marine Corps uniform, please
welcome them and engage in some of their many outstanding barbecue food creations.
TWO SOLDIERS AND A MARINEFOOD TRUCK
An American Veteran Owned Company
Phone Number: (847) 239-7146
Address: 1363 Shermer Rd. Suite 310; Northbrook, IL 60062
lighter as a solid than a
liquid.
• Our sun is over 2.5
million miles around at
its equator.
• 96% of Egypt is made
up of the desert sands
of the Sahara.
Mount Everest is the
tallest mountain in the
world, standing 29,028
feet high.
• The Amazon rain forest supplies one-fifth of
the world’s oxygen!
• Where do comets
come from? There is a
huge cloud of objects
made of ice and rock
encircling our solar
system, called the Oort
Cloud. It lies beyond
Pluto and extends half
way out to the next
star. These objects occasionally bump into
each other, sending
one in towards the sun
to become a comet like
the recent Hale-Bopp
comet.
• Every day, eight trillion gallons of water
pour out of the mouth
of the Amazon River
into the Atlantic Ocean.
The ice that covers 98%
of Antarctica holds 90%
of the world’s fresh water.
• Lake Baikal in Russia
is the deepest lake in
the world, and holds as
much water as all the
five Great Lakes of the
U.S. combined!
• Lake Superior, one of
the five Great Lakes between the U.S. and the
border of Canada, is a
freshwater lake with the
largest surface area, and
it’s so big it has waves!
• Olympus Mons is a
mountain on Mars,
????????????
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
Page 4
Illinois Professional Truck Driving Championship 2013
OCTOBER
BIRTHDAYS
Roland Foulkes
10-1
Javier Gutierrez
10-1
Rocky Caylor
10-4
George Smith
10-5
Jorge Vargas
10-7
Clarence Cross
10-8
Danny Garcia
10-9
Diego Delgado
10-11
Jacob Elperin
10-13
Louie Ocana
10-13
John Pecnick
10-13
Carlos Gonzalez 10-15
Jose Morales
10-16
Jose Rodriguez 10-16
Perry Mandera 10-17
Ken Whidden
10-19
Ramone Dino
10-20
Tim Hogan
10-20
Jose Espinosa
10-21
Adam Gonzales 10-23
Wilson Rodriguez 10-25
Herb Aquino
10-26
Rafael Ibarra
10-26
Megan Luscombe 10-26
Earl Hahn
10-28
Joan Malvitz
10-28
Orlando Manimtim 10-29
By Mark Dannhauser
Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL was the setting for 2013
Illinois Professional Truck Driving Championship. This event
showcased the driving skills of Illinois top CMV drivers in
nine different equipment classes. The Custom Companies,
Inc. had five contestants participating in four different class
categories. IPTDC Veterans John Skiba, Neil Specter, Robert
Reynolds and Dan Craig returned to the competition as well as
newcomer rookie Manny Roman. All contestants did a phenomenal job in all obstacles which included a written test, pretrip, and course. In the end, John Skiba placed and was awarded the 2nd Place trophy for his efforts in the Flat Bed Division! Great Job John! In addition to the second place finish in the
competition, Custom Transport, Inc. was tied for First Place for
operating the safest fleet in Illinois. This award was presented
to Custom Transport, Inc. due to having an accident frequency
of 0.00 for 2012-2013.
Prior to the event, two tractor / trailers and one straight truck
were detailed in stunning fashion to a showroom finish by Jeff
Howard and the Maintenance Team. The two tractors were so
impressive, that the TDC organizers wanted to showcase the
equipment inside the facility and had one tractor staged on both
sides of the stage during the banquet and awards ceremony! We would also like to give extra special Thank You’ s to Milly
Rodriguez, Angy Guarino, and Isabel Garcia, who were judges on the course. Frank Pesek, who will be heading up the preparations for the 2014 TDC, along
with Kathie Chadderdon, did a tremendous job with game day prep as well as coaches during the
many weeks leading up to the event.
CMS: A new way of booking
TCC Accounting
Jacob Orvis
By Allison Cascio
In August of this year, The Custom Companies Inc. launched the revolutionary Choice Management System (CMS) through Choice Direct Logistics. The objective of the venture is to expand our ability to service the national LTL needs of our customers and future customers for
point to point service throughout the country.
How does CMS work? Our customers are given a login to access the CMS site (which can be
found through the “login” link here: www.choicedl.com/cms.html). Once logged in, our customers can see in real time what partner carriers are available to move their freight, at what rates and
for what transit times. They can control what accessorial services are added and, when ready,
they can dispatch the pickup request, generate the Bill of Lading and trace the shipment all in
the same system.
How does this affect our current LTL department? In general, it shouldn’t change what most
of us do. Local pickups should still go through the Gold Teams, but if you have an inbound LTL
shipment or state-to-state inquiry, shoot an email to cms@choicedl.com in addition to the inbound department to see if there’s a good fit.
Congratulations to The Custom Companies for launching this exciting new service offering!!
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
Page 5
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
JACOB ORVIS: Training For The Race
I started running recreationally in college to keep the freshman fifteen off. I competed in a 4 mile
run for fun and placed 4th. I lost to a 13yr old kid in the last quarter mile, but that was the moment I
wanted to start training for 5ks. The following year I placed 2nd and then 1st the year after. It wasn’t
until my senior year of college when I had the cable channel with the Tour De France that I really got
into biking. I did smaller ones and was placed 1st and 2nd in my age group and in the top quarter of
the entire field, so I’ve been doing them ever since.
The short course race I did was a 5km run- 20km bike – 2.5km run. The race itself was in Ottawa
on August 10th, and the transition and race start/finish was located by the Canadian War Museum.
There is also the Olympic distance race, 10km run - 40km bike – 5km run, but I’m not sure I’m in
shape enough for that race… yet. For the race, I used a road bike that I bought in college and recently
converted to a more aero position. I think if I had a more aerodynamic triathlon bike, I could’ve done
slightly better, but I’m pretty happy to have done as well as I did.
During the first run, I stayed in the second group of runners and finished with one of the better 5k
times I’ve had in a duathlon! For the bike portion, I was nervous because the race officials were making a big deal out of getting penalties for drafting, and this was new to me, but we were pretty spread
out. Actually, I did better than I had ever done. Usually I get passed by four or five people on the bike,
but this time I passed five or six. The second run was tough, but I ran with another American who
kept encouraging me to run harder and pass the next guy. I ran my hardest and by the end I was on
the verge of puking, so I know I gave it my all. In the age group 25-29, I finished 10th out of 13, and
overall for the sprint course I finished 107th out of 298. About two weeks later, I went back to MN
where there was the Minneapolis duathlon that I did for fun. I placed 18th out of 589 and 3rd of 41
in my age group.
I trained harder than I usually do for other duathlons. During my intense training, my week consisted of:
ondays: Easy 3-4 mile run.
M
Tuesdays: Easy 3-4 mile run in the morning, and either easy 12-15 mile bike ride, or core workout in the evening.
Wednesdays: Either 5 tempo run (run at race pace) with 2 mile cool down, or four 1-mile sprints w/ 4 half mile
jogs, and two mile cool down run.
Thursdays: Easy 2-3 mile run or easy 12-15 mile bike ride.
Fridays: Core workout either in the morning or in the evening.
Saturdays: 12-13 mile long run.
Sundays: 30-40 mile bike ride.
As for what I ate, I was trying to cut some weight down, so I was watching my calorie intake and
eating yogurt with granola for breakfast. For lunch I had a lean pocket (Clete nicknamed me “Body by
Hot Pocket”), with an apple and banana during breaks. My dinner stayed normal, but I also gave up
beer, pop, and candy, which sucked. I’ve currently eased off the training, but two possible races that I’d
like to do this fall is a duathlon in IL and the Chicago Hot Chocolate 15k which I’ve done for the past
two years. I plan on keeping in shape until I start training again around next February. Next year’s age
group world championships will be in Spain, which would be pretty cool to visit.
My favorite moment of the races happened when I was watching the Olympic distance racers finish.
There was an 80 something year old Japanese man that finished and he collapsed. He couldn’t get up,
but he was smiling ear to ear and throwing his arms up. The person next to me said he was smiling
during the entire race. It would be nice to be able to compete when I’m at that age.
You can find my results at sportstats.ca ~ click find race results ~ search my last name (http://www.
sportstats.ca/displayResults.xhtml?racecode=105797&bib=768).
OCTOBER
ANNIVERSARIES
Tom Kolzow
24
Bruce Lenau
17
Tom Mroz
16
Ramir Sison
16
Jon DuJardin
14
Bob Heinz
14
Jerry Odziemic
13
Mary Holowicki
13
Jose Cedeno
12
Marie Huff
11
Bob Deneen
11
Jose Fabian
11
George Maciel
11
Alex DeLeon
10
Ron Pearce
10
Matt Foley
8
Herb Aquino
8
Jason Esser
8
Anthony Stram
7
Peter Mudiyappan
6
Julio Loaiza
6
John Santoro
5
German Melendez
3
Robert Barbosa
3
Francisco Hernandez 3
Jose Rodriguez
2
Mike Plzak
1
Alfredo Fierro
1
Sean Pierce
1
Edgar Cruz
1
Linda Dieboldt
1
Desiree Reyes
1
TCC Accounting
Jacob Orvis
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
Page 6
Karl Mozina
11-2
Brad Woodbury 11-3
Mark Dannhauser 11-4
Julio Loaiza
11-4
David Rozkuszka 11-5
Juan Lopez
11-8
Bob Deneen
11-10
Ramiro Villarruel 11-11
Tom Boyle
11-13
Kamal Salah
11-13
Miguel Cervantes 11-13
Manuel Vega
11-15
German Delgado 11-16
Dean Pilafas
11-17
Anthony Stram 11-17
Saul DeLuna
11-20
Josh Hines
11-20
Sheila Pajarillo 11-20
Steve Paxton
11-20
Donna Robinson 11-21
Bruce Schaller 11-21
Frank Pesek
11-23
John Angelopoulos 11-24
Juan Garcia
11-24
Dorland Henderson 11-24
Gail Abdallah
11-25
Francisco Hernandez 11-25
Jay Blumenthal 11-27
Anthony Roldan 11-27
Rich Goone
11-30
Milly Rodriguez 11-30
Y
ST
CUSTOM UNIVERSITY GRADUATES
OM
U NIVE
RS
IT
CU
NOVEMBER
BIRTHDAYS
C
TOM OMP
US
•
IES
AN
• THE
C
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
July 31, 2013
Listed from left to right
John Santoro, Daniel Garcia,
Joe Giaquinta, Tom Boyle,
Desiree Reyes, Allison
Cascio
August 14, 2013
Listed from left to right
John Santoro, Lev Krasnopolskiy, Bob Zdych, Tony Crespo,
Tom Biskup, Jason Miner,
Megan Luscombe
August 21, 2013
Listed from left to right
John Santoro, Tom Taylor,
Josh Hines, Jesus Bucio,
Samantha Santiago, Megan
Luscombe
TCC Driver
Juan Reyna
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
Page 7
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
September 25, 2013
Listed from left to right
John Santoro,
Drew Mackenzie, Tom
Boyle, James Griese, David
Feinstein, Ramone Dino,
Clete Janik, Bianca
Gutierrez
Custom Cares Charities Activity
by Tom Mroz
Walter and Connie Payton Foundation: On September 1st Perry Mandera graciously gave the
okay for the WCPF to move into our A-Wing and set up for their Back to School Drive and their
annual Toy Drive. Connie Payton and her team of volunteers will begin working on the toy drive
packages starting in November. If anyone would be interested in volunteering after their work
shift please let me know at tmroz@customco.com.
We will be setting up boxes for the Toy Drive throughout our building the week before Thanksgiving. Please help the underprivileged children in the Chicago metropolitan area have a good
Christmas by picking up a toy or two for this year’s Drive. There will be more information coming out in November.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help’s Sister Paulanne: Donated $1,000 to a homeless family that was living in their car in order for them to pay a security deposit on a small rental home in Northbrook.
The National Brain Tumor Society: Donated $500 to fight Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain
cancer that has a devastating mortality rate.
Campus Crusade for Christ: Donated $2,500 to help support their ministries and staff.
For Autistic Kids Foundation: Donated $7,500 to help broaden the public’s awareness and understanding of autism, educate autistic kids, and fund research for the early detection, prevention, treatment and possible cure for children with this lifelong neurological disorder.
Misericordia Women’s Board Angel Campaign: Donated $250 to help support the programs that
enrich the lives of more than 600 children who call Misericordia “Home.”
NOVEMBER
ANNIVERSARIES
James Campbell
Giovanni Valente
John Dembowski
Rafael Ibarra
Juan Reyna
Lisa Smith
George Barney
Alonso Blanco
Jeff Howard
Ron Boyles
Saul De Luna
Seferino Arias
Tina Miner
Jose Garcia
Pat Walsh
Billy Hudson
Jim Welsh
Oscar Bolanos
James Grisby
Chris Sharp
Carlos Melendez
Steve Yonkman
Andy Wagner
Juan Lopez
Jesus Bucio
Judy Knuth
TCC IT
Justin Major
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
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VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
which is about fifteen
miles high, three times
higher than Mount
Everest on earth, and
at the top it is 45 miles
across!
• The deepest natural caves known to
man are the Pierre St.
Martin Caves in the
Pyrenees Mountains
between Spain and
France, which reach
4,370 feet deep, almost
three times as deep
as the Empire State
Building is high!
• Scientist believe that
diamond rains occur
on Neptune and Uranus. The heart of these
planets may be a layer
of diamonds hundreds
of miles thick.
• Jupiter’s giant red
spot is like a tornado
and it is 3 times bigger
than the earth.
• The largest crater on
the moon measures
183 miles across.
• Astronomers know
Mars is a backwards
planet. Once a year, for
several days, it appears
to move backwards in
its orbit. This is actually an optical illusion
when the faster orbit
of Earth races past
Mars.
• The farthest you can
see with the naked
eye is 2.4 million light
years away!
• Australia is the only
continent on earth
without an active volcano.
• The earth is over
330,000 times smaller
than the sun.
• The Earth is 4.5 billion years old.
Page 8
D AY L I G H T
S AV I N G S
TIME
By Jay Cohen
Be sure to turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday 11/12 as Daylight Savings Time ends
on Sunday, November 3. The good news is that you’ll get an extra hour of sleep, but unfortunately the days will be shorter. DST begins in March and ends in November. Although Daylight
Saving Time is considered to be correct, daylight savings time (with an “s”) is commonly used.
Modern DST was first proposed by the New Zealand entomologist, George Vernon Hudson
in 1895. The idea was to provide more evening daylight for leisure time during the summer
hours. During World War I, DST was conceived as a way to save energy. Starting on 30 April
1916, Germany and it’s World War I allies, Austria & Hungary, were the first to use DST as a
way to conserve coal during wartime. Britain, most of its allies, and many European neutrals
soon followed suit. Russia and a few other countries waited until the next year, while the United
States adopted it in 1918 to conserve resources. DST was abandoned in the years after the war
(with some notable exceptions including Canada, the UK, France, and Ireland for example). It
was reinstated again during World War II until Sept. 1945. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 created a standardized system to observe daylight saving time. It became widely adopted, particularly in North America and Europe starting in the 1970s during the energy crisis.
While an overwhelming majority of the U.S. does observe Daylight Saving Time, not all
do. With the exception of the Navajo Nation in the northeastern part of the state, Arizona has
not been moving their clocks forward like the rest of the country each spring. According to an
Arizona Republic editorial in 1969, the reasoning behind not springing forward was due to the
heat. Aside from Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Marianas
and the Virgin Islands do not move their clocks forward. Retailers, sporting goods makers, and other businesses benefit from extra afternoon sunlight,
as it induces customers to shop and to participate in outdoor afternoon sports. In 1984, Fortune
magazine estimated that a seven-week extension of DST would yield an additional $30 million
for 7-11 stores. At the same time, the National Golf Foundation estimated the extension would
increase golf industry revenues $200 million to $300 million. Fire officials encourage citizens to use the two annual clock shifts as reminders to replace
batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, particularly in autumn, just before the heating season causes an increase in home fires. Similar twice-yearly tasks include reviewing and
practicing fire escape and family disaster plans, inspecting vehicle lights, checking storage areas
for hazardous materials, reprogramming thermostats and seasonal vaccinations.
While Autumn and Winter provide many holidays and activities such as skiing and skating,
I’m sure most of us will be looking forward to the Spring when Daylight Saving Time starts
again.
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
Page 9
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
First Annual
Salmon Charter
By: Frank Pesek
We had outstanding weather for our inaugural salmon charter trip with Capt. Tim Wojnicz of Finquest
Sport Fishing, located out of the port of Kenosha in
Kenosha, WI. The weather was 76 degrees and slightly overcast with a gentle breeze and two to three foot
waves. Conditions were in favor for a good day of
fishing.
We all met at The Custom Companies parking lot
at 8:30am on Saturday morning August 10th. Frank
Pesek, Juan Morales, George Barney, and Andy
Kolodziejczyk. We drove together up to Kenosha where we had a warrior’s breakfast at a
restaurant overlooking the harbor before meeting with
the Captain. We then boarded the Finquest around
11:00a.m.
After boarding, we took a nice boat ride leaving the
harbor and out into open water. About 8 miles out, Captain Tim set up a trolling pattern and laid out a 12-line
spread to begin trolling. It was not long before Andy
pulled in the first fish of the day; a nice female at 16 lbs.
Shortly thereafter, Juan was up and reeled in a nice male
at 17 lbs. Then George was next to pull in the big one. We were all anticipating another
nice salmon. To all of our surprise, George pulled in a perch to win the small fish of the day
award! Sorry George, but a bad day of fishing is still better than a good day at work. Later
in the day, Frank was up and he came in with a beautiful 19 lb. male.
We all caught fish on our outing and we all had a great time
on the water. The camaraderie, the open water, the libations, the fish, and all the nice salmon fillets we all brought
home made this inaugural trip a great one.
A date has not been set for our next salmon charter, but
Capt. Tim is available for perch charters in the spring. We
are putting a perch trip together for some time in May, 2014.
If interested in a perch or salmon trip, contact Frank Pesek.
Seating is limited and filling up fast.
To contact Frank – frankapesekjr@comcast.net
To contact Capt. Tim – finquestsportfishing.com
• 71% of the Earth’s
surface is covered with
water.
• Jupiter is a planet
made entirely of gases.
• There are over six billion people living on
Earth!
• The Earth is 93 million miles away from
the sun.
• 97% of the earth’s water is undrinkable!
• If you could live on
the planet Mercury, a
year would only last 88
days.
• It is said that when
England is in danger a
drum owned by Francis
Drake rolls by itself.
• The language of a
society changes slowly
but steadily with the
result that an educated
person will not be able
to read or understand
words in his language
written 500 years ago.
• Sound travels over 14
times faster through
steel than through
air. If you need to signal someone quickly
standing on a metal
bridge, bang on a steel
pipe!
• The Great Pyramid
of Cheops in Egypt,
built about 2600 BC,
was constructed with
enough stone to make
a brick wall that could
go around the world 20
inches high.
• In comparison, the
largest modern building, the Pentagon, in
Washington DC would
only make a brick wall
that went around the
world two inches high.
• If everyone in the
world took a daily bath,
our entire supply of
fresh water would be
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
get dirty in a single day.
• The number of bacteria in a quart of soil
from your backyard
garden is 30 times
greater than the population of the world.
• When high speed
trains pass each other
they must slow down
or they will break their
windows. The passing
trains produce a lowpressure area between
them that can actually
pull the glass out of the
frames.
• A hydroplane can
go much faster than a
normal boat because it
lifts the hull out of the
water. It uses supports
that act like underwater wings to give it lift.
It is really just flying
through water.
• You can surf on only
one or two inches
of water. Jump on a
wooden disc and you
can ride 20 feet or
more in the shallow
water along the beach.
• Manhole covers, the
lids that cover sewers, are always round.
Why? The round cover
rests on a lip that is
smaller than the cover
so it can’t drop through
the opening. A square
or rectangular cover, no matter how it
was made, could fall
through.
• The fear of spiders is
called arachnophobia.
• Some other phobias
are hydrophobia (fear
of water), triskaidekaphobia (fear of the
number 13), ecclesiaphobia (fear of churches),
pogonophobia
(fear of beards), ergophobia (fear of work).
Page 10
SPORTS WITH DANIEL LEACH
NFL West Coast Football Breakdown
For the 2013-2014 NFL Season, a quick glance of the West Coast coast teams might lead one
to believe that the distance between Pretender and Contender are vast. Coming back from The Super Bowl, the
San Francisco 49ers are looking polished and poised to
return to the big dance, and maybe win it this time. However, division rivals Seattle Seahawks look to be their most
potent competition. And don’t take the St. Louis Rams
and Arizona Cardinals as weak sauce either. QB Carson
Palmer looks to have a more talented wide receiving core
in Arizona than he ever had during his days as QB for the
Cincinnati Bengals. Even without the talented RB Steven Jackson, who moved to the Atlanta
Falcons, the St. Louis Rams managed to get a victory over that improved Arizona Cardinals
team. It is the opinion of this writer that despite the hype of the NFC East, it is the NFC West
that will likely be the most exciting division to watch this season!
Are the Oakland Raiders really THAT bad?
Upon seeing a valiant performance against the Indianapolis Colts (despite the loss), plus the
awful turnout of the Jacksonville Jaguars home opener, the Oakland Raiders didn’t appear to be
as terrible as analysts had originally predicted. Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor proved to be almost
on par with Indianapolis Colts QB, and 2012 1st overall draft pick, Andrew Luck. Don’t get me
wrong, this is a team and organization that is in serious trouble. However, their 1st game performance has shed some optimism for their season.
Who’s leading the Charge?
In previous seasons, the San Diego Chargers were known for carving up tons of yardage but
with little points to show for it. After their game against the Houston Texans, it would appear
that they now have the opposite problem. Although an encouraging 4 touchdown performance,
Chargers QB Phillip Rivers didn’t crack the 200 yard mark and ended up throwing a costly
interception that was returned for a touchdown. Even worse than that, was a Chargers defense
that allowed 450 total yards and could only muster up little in terms of the turnover battle
against their opponents, despite the Houston Texans throwing the ball 45 times.
Conclusion
With Week 1 of the NFL Season in the books, there doesn’t appear to be this large of a talent gap
amongst the West Coast teams as originally predicted. However, it’s a long season and being an
experienced fan has told me that it’s always best to look at this wonderful game as a marathon,
and not a sprint. We’ll follow up with more analysis in the next issue of The Custom Communicator.
Chicago Blackhawks Notable Departures
With the NHL preseason in full swing, the Chicago Blackhawks
look to make a dynasty in their pursuit for a 3rd Stanley Cup in
5 years. They start by getting Goalkeeper (G) Corey Crawford
to sign a 6-year extension. Left Wing (LW) Bryan Bickell and
Defenseman (D) Niklas Hjalmarsson sign extensions as well,
helping the Hawks shore up a staunch defensive effort and quick
counterattack. But, despite finding suitiable replacements to the
following losses in free agency, there is skepticism as to whether
the Chicago Blackhawks are trying to go younger to complement
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Page 11
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
their star players:
Ray Emery ~ Although Corey Crawford established himself as top dog; G Ray Emery, at 30
years old, was a suitable backup at a very reasonable price. It’s unfortunate for the Hawks that
Emery went to another team, especially since the backup Goalkeeper is Nikolai Khabibulin, a
man in his 40s who clearly doesn’t have his best years in front of him.
David Bolland ~ This was, perhaps, the most notable loss for the Chicago Blackhawks. Although
an impact player during the regular season, the amount of ice time caught up to Bolland and
he was unable to keep up his customary pace during the playoffs. Fans were quick to judge his
tentative approach to hockey. Given the margin for error in this very quick game, I can’t necessarily fault the guy for doing everything possible to limit mistakes. Though not right away, his
absence will be felt...
Daniel Carcillo ~ Aggressive on the boards and quick with his shots, opposing Goalkeepers
felt the sting of Daniel Carcillo’s slapshot. However, despite his moxie and toughness in the
trenches, Daniel did have difficulty trying to muster points in space. Being the quick team that
the Hawks are, if one can’t get points in space…they may be better suited for another team. And
that’s exactly what happened: Carillo was traded to the L.A. Kings.
Viktor Stalberg ~ Nobody was surprised when Viktor was shown the
door. Despite being a talented LW, Stalberg didn’t immerse well with
Coach Quenneville’s strict game plan, and demeanor for that matter.
Stalberg’s departure from the team was assured the moment LW Bryan
Bickell made a name for himself in key games during the Blackhawks’
Stanley Cup run.
Luol Deng’s Wrist
Chicago Bulls Forward Luol Deng has put off getting surgery
on his hurt wrist since 2011. While it’s customary for professional athletes to play through pain, the wrist has been affecting his shooting percentage. For the last 2
years, Luol Deng has clocked more playing time than any other member of the Chicago Bulls.
While he’s able to put up points via layups and slam dunks, his shooting percentage from inside
the paint is 41-42%, drastically lower than before his wrist injury.
So, why hasn’t Luol Deng elected to get the doctor recommended wrist surgery? After
the end of the NBA season, while other athletes took time off to heal, Luol Deng pushed himself
to represent Great Britain in their bid to qualify the 2012 Olympic Basketball Qualifiers. And,
when the NBA Lockout ended, Luol Deng figured that getting wrist surgery only to play a shortened season wasn’t justified. In fact, medical professionals not linked to the Bulls medical staff
even suggested that the lessened stress of a shortened season would allow Deng’s wrist to heal
naturally. Who’s right? Who knows. Only time will tell if Deng’s wrist can handle the punishment this upcoming season has in store for him.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD!
Congratulations to David and Bridget Rozkuszka on the birth of
their baby girl, Brynn Elliott. Baby Brynn came into this world on
• There was only one
code during World
War II that was never
broken by the enemy
and was used by the
US Army. Navajo soldiers, called Codetalkers, developed a radio
code based on their
native language. It was
the only way US soldiers on the battlefield
could be sure that messages were from their
own side and not from
Japanese imitators.
• Vincent Van Gogh
only sold 1 painting his
whole life and that was
to his brother!
• A Japanese explorer
named Maomi Uemura was the first man
to reach the North
Pole alone, on April 29,
1978, after his eightweek journey.
• In transistors, electrons perform an
amazing magic act
called quantum tunneling. They can move
from one side of a thin
metal plate to the other
without going through
the plate.
• Steamboat Geyser,
located in Yellowstone
National Park, is the
most powerful geyser
in the world, and can
shoot super-hot water
300 feet in the air.
• There are 293 ways
to make change for a
dollar!
• Water expands 9%
when it is frozen!
August 13th, weighing 6 lbs., 9 oz. at 19 inches long. Both mom and
baby are doing well and big sister Paige is especially excited to have
a new playmate!!.
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
Page 12
Halloween
Marsh-Monsters
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 snacks
TCC City Dispatch
David Lorge
Ingredients
8 thick pretzel rods
8 large marshmallows
Candy corn, miniature candy-coated chocolate baking bits, string licorice, Bugles® corn snacks,
gummy peach rings, fruit snacks, candy sprinkles, as desired
1 container (1 lb) vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting
Assorted food colors
Directions
1. Gently push 1 pretzel into 1 flat side of each marshmallow; set aside. Plan and assemble decorations for each marshmallow.
2. In 1-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave 1/2 cup frosting uncovered on High 10 to
20 seconds or until smooth and melted when stirred. Add 1 to 2 drops food color as desired-green for witches or Frankenstein, red for devils, yellow for pumpkins or cats.
3. Dip and decorate 1 marshmallow at a time. Hold pretzel, and dip marshmallow into frosting
to coat all sides. Immediately add decorations to create features--candy corn for noses, baking bits for eyes, string licorice for whiskers. To make witch’s hat, push corn snack through
center of peach ring. For devil’s or witch’s cape, use fruit snack cut in half crosswise at an
angle; attach at base of marshmallow while frosting is soft. Set pretzels in drinking glass to
dry before storing. Store in airtight container.
Whipped Sweet Potato Bake
TCC Driver
Jerry Odziemiec
TCC POD
Kristine Belica
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Servings: 10 servings, 1/2 cup each
Ingredients
3 cans (15 oz. each) sweet potatoes, drained
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
Directions
HEAT oven to 350°F.
BEAT potatoes, butter and spices with mixer until blended.
SPOON into 1-1/2-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with marshmallows.
BAKE 15 to 20 min. or until potato mixture is heated through and marshmallows are lightly browned.
Mix all ingredients; spoon into microwaveable 1-1/2-qt. dish sprayed with cooking spray. Do not
top with marshmallows. Microwave on HIGH 8 to 10 min. or until heated through, stirring after
5 min. Top with marshmallows; let stand 2 to 3 min. or until marshmallows begin to melt.
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VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
Roasted
Pumpkin
Seeds
Original recipe makes 1 1/2 cups 
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2. Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt. Spread the seeds in a single layer on a
baking sheet and bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown; stir occasionally.
TCC TL Brokerage
Lev Krasnopolskiy
Halloween Bloody Baked Rats
Ingredients
Original recipe makes 4 servings 
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 (1.25 ounce) packet meatloaf seasoning mix
1 cup cubed Cheddar cheese
3 (10 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ounce uncooked spaghetti, broken into fourths
1/2 carrot, cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon frozen green peas
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, and meatloaf seasoning. Use
your hands to mix until well blended. Measure out 1/3 cupfuls of the meat mixture and mold
around a cube of cheese like a meatball. Shape into a point at one end and lengthen the body a bit
by rolling between your hands. Place your ‘’rat’’ into a shallow baking dish, and continue with the
remaining meat. Insert pieces of uncooked spaghetti into the rounded end of the rats to make tails.
In a medium bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the
rats in the dish and cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Uncover the dish and continue to bake for another 20
to 30 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce to glaze the rats.
While the rats finish baking, heat the peas and carrots in a small bowl in the microwave for about
15 seconds.
Carefully transfer the rats to a serving platter so that their delicate tails don’t fall off. Press peas into
the pointy end to make eyes, and insert carrot slices to make ears. Spoon some of the tomato sauce
around them and serve.
TCC Receptionist
Yvonne Gaytan
Justin Major
Carol Guarino
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Page 14
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
LATINO "DIA DE MUERTOS"
EUROPEAN DAY
&
OF THE DEAD
AMERICAN HALLOWEEN
TCC CMS Dept
Allison Cascio &
Laura Finfrock
TCC Carrier Relations
Richard Goone
TCC Dockman
Efrain Serrano
By: G. Smith
Dia de Muertos is a Spanish remembrance day, which is celebrated in
Mexico and the majority of South and Central America. In Brazil, being
Portuguese, the day is called Finados. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family
members who have died. It is particularly celebrated in Mexico, where it
is a national holiday, and all banks are closed. The celebration of familial
deceased takes place on November 1st and 2nd, in connection with the
Catholic Christian holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Spanish
traditions that are involved are the construction of private family altars
honoring the deceased utilizing skulls constructed out of sugar, marigolds, and the very favorite foods and drinks of the departed and visiting
graves with these as gifts. They also leave lifetime personal possessions
of the deceased.
Mexican historians trace the origins of this Spanish holiday to observances dating hundreds of years into antiquity and specifically to a festival of the Aztecs dedicated to the Aztec Goddess Mictecacihuatl. This
holiday has since spread throughout the world. In Brazil, during Dia
de Finados the people celebrate the holiday by visiting cemeteries and
churches.
In most regions of Central and South America, November 1 is to honor
children and infants, whereas deceased adults are honored on November
2. This is indicated by generally referring to November 1 mainly as Día
de los Inocentes (“Day of the Innocents”) but also as Día de los Angelitos
(“Day of the Little Angels”) and November 2 as Día de los Muertos or
Día de los Difuntos (“Day of the Dead (Adults)”).
“DAY OF THE DEAD” … EUROPE
Much to the dismay of the Holy See in Rome and the Roman Catholic Church, the Western tradition
of celebrating Halloween is catching on across all of Catholic Europe, however, the Catholic holidays of
All Saints’ Day, on Nov. 1, and All Souls’ Day, on Nov. 2, have been celebrated for centuries.
Largely a European Roman Catholic observance, which includes Spain and most of Continental Catholic Europe, consider these two days a national holiday when shops, schools and businesses are closed.
On All Saints’ Day, the faithful attends their local parish church to remember the departed Catholic
saints and their own personal family’s dearly departed. People travel long distances to place flowers
on the graves of loved ones and burn specially decorated candles to help the departed souls find their
way to everlasting light. Oftentimes, the parish priest says prayers or blesses the graves. Years ago and
continuing today in Eastern Catholic Europe, it was traditional for the family to have a sumptuous feast
at the gravesite and leave food and drink for the departed.
What might otherwise be considered to the uninformed as a macabre and maudlin tradition is often
times beautiful with people and children dressing in their native country’s costume or historic dress in
cemeteries across the countryside lit by thousands of candle lanterns at night. The candles burn at least
until the next day, All Souls’ Day (also known as Day of the Dead in many countries) but often they
glow in the dark for weeks afterward.
HALLOWEEN – PERHAPS NO LONGER A UNIQUE AMERICAN CELEBRATION…
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VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
Halloween’s very earliest beginnings have been traced by historians to the very ancient Celtic festival
of “Samhain”.
These Celts, who are estimated to have lived over 2,000 years ago in the lands that are now known as
Ireland, Great Britain, and Northern France, celebrated the arrival of their New Year on November 1.
This day marked the end of their farming summer and the harvest, and the beginning of the dark, dank
winter, a time of year that was often associated with the death of humans during the severe change of
season, and the then lack of meaningful medical care for the aged.
Celts originally believed that on the night before the New Year, the boundary between the worlds of
the living and the dead became very blurred and seemed to almost merge. On the night of October
31st, they celebrated Samhain, when it was then believed that the ghosts of all of the dead actually returned to earth for only one day to visit those they loved (or hated) most in life. This was not felt to be
a good thing by some of the more superstitious and trepedatious Celts, who thought these ghosts were
primarily responsible for causing nothing but trouble in the spirt’s respective family (“he or she loved
ME the most…”) and damaging hard earned crops. Others thought that the presence of these spirits
from the “other” world made it easier for local Druids, or Celtic priests, to make accurate predictions
about the future. For the Celts, depending on the daily realities of their shaky agricultural existence
and the volatile and very uncertain nature of their survival, these prophecies were an important source
of comfort and direction during a long and often dark winter and into what was hopefully a new and
temperate Spring.
To commemorate the event, traditionally, the Druids built large bonfires, felt to be sacred, where the
Celts would gather to burn both crops and animals as sacrifices to their culture’s various natural deities,
of the forest, sky, sun, moon and seasons.
During the celebrations, the Celts usually wore costumes, usually of animal heads and skins, and attempted to predict each other’s coming fortunes. When the celebration ended, the Celts relit the fires
of their hearths from the bonfires, which they had traditionally extinguished earlier that same evening,
in the belief that good luck and fortune would occur from the sacred bonfire to help protect them in
the upcoming year.
By 43 AD, the Celts had the majority of their territory conquered by the Romans. In the course of
over four hundred years that Rome governed these Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were
combined with the traditional celebration of Samhain.
The first of these was known as Feralia, a day in very late October when
the Romans traditionally remembered the passing of their dead into the
afterlife (shade of Day of the Dead!), and the second Roman celebration
was a special day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.
Pomona’s symbol was the apple and the merging of this celebration into
Samhain probably explains the origin of “bobbing” for apples which continues to exist in present day Halloween.
By the ninth century (800), Christianity’s influence had extended into
the lands of the Celts. In the seventh century (600), Pope Boniface IV had
designated the date of November 1st as “All Saints’ Day”, a time to honor
all of the saints and martyrs of the church throughout history. It is widely
held today that the pope was attempting to replace the pagan festivals of
the Celts and Romans for the dead with a related, but fully church supported and sponsored holiday.
This celebration also came to be known as all-hallows or All-hallowmas (from the Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day) and the night before it, the actual night of Samhain, began to be
called All-hallows Eve, and eventually over the centuries, Halloween.
Later, by the eleventh century (1000), the church would make November 2 “All Souls Day”, a day to
honor all of the dead. It was celebrated very similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and costumes (but usually as saints, angels and devils).
Taken together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints’, All Saints’ and All Souls’ were called Hallow Mas………
What is known for certain, is that the non-religious American Halloween, has now spread to virtually
every part of the globe, with its “Trick or Treat, Money or Eat”, and many in our primarily Christian
Country fear it is becoming even more popular than Easter or Christmas…
TCC W & I
Jack Savona
TCC Driver
Juan Alonzo
TCC Dockman
Jose Corona
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com
Page 16
VOL. VIII No. 4 • October / November 2013
The Custom Companies, Inc.
The Full Service Transportation Company
317 West Lake Street
Northlake, Illinois 60164
Phone: (708) 338-8888
Fax: (708) 338-9550
E-mail: newsletter@customco.com
www.customco.com
www.customgl.com
www.gocdn.com
www.choicedl.com
CUSTOMER SERVICE, SUPPORT AND CARE
At The Custom Companies, our main objective is to deliver your goods on time and in perfect condition. We understand the
importance of a great customer / vendor relastionship. Our customer service center is just a phone call away to provide a rate
quote, track a shipment, schedule a pickup or access accurate documentation. In today’s fast paced environment, we work to
provide transportation solutions that fit every economic situation.
Our “Customer First” program ensures that your shipments will be delivered on time, and with the highest degree of care. In
order to maintain these standards, we measure performance levels on every shipment. As a result, our internal operational
systems are constantly improving to provide better, more accurate service, allowing our transportation specialists to meet your
growing needs.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE MEMBER
Joe Klikas
Tom Mroz
John Santoro
Michele Marek
Carol Guarino
Megan Luscombe
Jay Cohen
Eric Pocius
Daniel Leach
Yvonne Gaytan
Allison Cascio
TINA MINER
Your Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant
Shop Online 24/7 at:
www.marykay.com/tminer
Ask to see my new
Fall/Winter Catalog!
Michele Marek
Your preferred
Scentsy provder
www.scentstoremember.scentsy.us
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
Rocky Caylor
Mark Dannhauser
George Smith
Tony Beltrano
Frank Pesek
paper crown gallery
847.815.6115
1518 E. Algonquin Rd.
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
2014 American LaserQuest Championship (ALC)
Looking for employees to represent The Custom Companies, Inc. at the inaugural 2014 American LaserQuest
Championship. The tournament will bring 6-man teams, from all over the United States and Canada, to compete for
trophies and cash prizes!
Optional side tournaments and activities are also available. Subject to Laser Quest rules and regulations. E-mail Daniel
Leach at dleach@customco.com for details.
Date: January 18th, 2013
Time: 1000 PDT – Close
Place:
Laser Quest Las Vegas
7361 W Lake Mead Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89128
(702) 243-8881
Fee: $45 Entry Fee per person
Saturday, October 5, 13
TWO SOLDIERS AND A MARINE
FOOD TRUCK
An American Veteran Owned Company
Phone Number: (847) 239-7146
Address: 1363 Shermer Rd. Suite 310;
Northbrook, IL 60062
THE CUSTOM COMPANIES, INC. • 317 WEST LAKE STREET, NORTHLAKE, ILLINOIS 60164 • www.CUSTOMCO.com