Keller Logistics Group, the family-owned third-party logistics provider headquartered in Defiance, has received a Business Excellence Award and been inducted into the Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame, the company announced on Thursday, Nov. 12. The induction took place at the hall of fame’s 38th annual ceremony on Nov. 5 in Maumee.
Keller was one of four pre-announced honorees at this year’s ceremony, according to the company’s announcement issued through PR Newswire. The Entrepreneurial & Business Excellence Hall of Fame recognizes businesses that build and sustain growth and create jobs in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
Founded in Defiance in 1978, Keller Logistics Group has grown over 48 years into a family of companies that includes Keller Trucking, Keller Warehousing & Co-Packing, Keller Freight Solutions and Keller Industrial Properties. The group employs more than 1,000 people and operates 300 trucks with 470 drivers and 6.5 million square feet of owned and operated warehouse space, according to the company.
Chief Executive Officer Bryan Keller kept his remarks at the ceremony short and credited the company’s employees, customers and community partners, the company said in its announcement. “At Keller, we often talk about the Keller Circle of Life. The idea is simple: we deliver for our people, they deliver for our customers, and we give back to our community to enrich as many lives as possible,” Keller said in the company’s announcement. “Strong communities create opportunities for the next generation, which in turn helps businesses like ours continue to thrive.”
That give-back approach was on display the same night as the induction. While the award was being presented in Maumee, most of the Keller team was back in Defiance hosting about 200 veterans from Defiance, Paulding, Henry and Williams counties for dinner through Operation K.A.V.I.C. — Keller Assists Veterans in Crisis — with Keller employees serving the meal themselves, according to the announcement.
Operation K.A.V.I.C. is the company’s standing program supporting local veterans in crisis. Hall of fame organizers noted that the recognition belongs to the entire company, including its employees, families and customers — a view the company said Bryan Keller shares.
For Defiance, the honor adds a hometown name to a regional hall of fame that has recognized Northwest Ohio employers for nearly four decades. Keller’s announcement framed the award as a reflection of its roughly 1,000 employees and the approach the company calls the Keller Circle of Life, linking service to employees, customers and community in a single cycle.
The company did not announce any immediate changes tied to the award. Its operations across trucking, warehousing, co-packing, freight brokerage and industrial real estate continue from its Defiance headquarters, where the firm has been based since 1978.