Employee Spotlight – Mandy Wood

Never at a loss for words, Mandy Wood is no stranger to conversation. Which makes her perfect for interacting with our customers and representing Airways Freight at trade shows and special events. Something she takes great pride in doing.

Mandy began working with Airways in September of 2004 after previously working at the Wal-Mart Corporate Offices International Division. Through many conversations with a friend, who was at the time working for Airways, she was told about how family oriented they are, and how much her friend loved working for such a great company that took care of their employees.

Mandy put in her application, was hired and it wasn’t long before her determination and productivity led her to the position she is in today. She now travels all over the country to different trade show locations, and gets to meet exciting people and explore different cities, something she knew she was destined to do.

Mandy was born in Beaufort, South Carolina and spent most of her childhood in Hilton Head. She later moved on to Oklahoma, and now resides in Northwest Arkansas. A lot of her childhood memories were of visiting the coast and spending time on the beach. One of her favorite memories was sneaking out to watch The Beach Boys play. Her love for the ocean and living on the coast has never gone away. It’s no surprise that on her vacation days, she loves to drive down to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

While not vacationing in Gulf Shores, Mandy likes to watch sports and loves watching her son Parker play pee-wee football and baseball. She also loves camping, and spending time with family and friends. Mandy loves to go to the movies and enjoys shopping in different cities around the country. She has a great appreciation for fashion and it’s not out of the ordinary to see her dressed in the latest trends.

Mandy met her husband and fellow co-worker Brock while working side by side at Airways. They married in 2007 and together, they have a son. Working alongside her husband has always been fun and exciting, and has never felt any different. They work very well as a team, and it shows in their day to day interactions.

When asked what her most notable accomplishment is, Mandy, without hesitation, says it was raising her two daughters Jourdynn and Heavenly. How her persistence and determination pushed them to be where they are today and grateful she did not fail as a parent. Jourdynn has given her two beautiful grandchildren and Heavenly has gone on to join the United States Air Force to further her education.

Not only is Mandy great at conversation, she also has a hidden passion for singing. One of her favorite quotes is “Sing not because you can, but because you want to”.

Mandy is dedicated, determined and productive. She has accomplished a lot in a short time, and will accomplish much more in her lifetime.

Employee Spotlight – Patty Osburn

She lights up a room without saying a word. She’s a bright light that shines, and she brings her positive attitude to work daily. Patty Osburn has been with Airways since May of 2007, and her dedication and optimism has led her to become an integral part of the International Tradeshow Division here at Airways Freight.

Before starting at Airways, Patty worked as a customer service manager at a nearby grocery store, and would drive by the company every day, wondering what it would be like to work for such a beautiful company. After meeting a few different employees that worked for Airways, she was told about how much they truly loved their jobs and coworkers. It wasn’t long before she found herself working right alongside them. The things she likes most is the people she gets to work with and their overall dedication. She admires the level of professionalism that exists in each department, and how they treat each shipment as a top priority, like it was their very own. She considers the customer service at Airways “top notch” and she is very proud to be part of the team.

Patty was born in Georgia but moved to California when she was a child. She spent a lot of time going back and forth between coasts, and visited many states and locations. She settled in Northwest Arkansas and it has become her home.

Patty married her husband Beau almost 26 years ago and together they have 4 children. One daughter, Alexa, and three sons Dillon, Ty and Zack. Most recently, two of her sons married their significant others and added to their beautiful family.

She loves spending free time with her family and considers herself a homebody. When not staying at home, Patty loves to shop, and travel. Some of the most memorable places she has been to are Hong Kong and Switzerland, which she had the opportunity to visit while representing Airways.

One of Patty’s favorite quotes, reflects her character in every way and is present in her professional as well as her personal life.

“Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.” – Anonymous

Patty has most definitely had extraordinary results, she is every bit an asset to Airways, and her endless positivity is inspiring and very much appreciated.

Employee Spotlight – Brandi Phillips

We’ve all heard her voice at one time or another, she’s the voice on the other end of the phone when you call Airways Freight. Brandi is one of Airways receptionist/PBX Operators.

Always cheerful and willing to help, Brandi Phillips has been with Airways since 1993. She was working in the driver/personnel department for JB Hunt previously, when a friend recommended Airways. She was told to come down after work for an interview, and was hired on the spot. She began working at Airways at the age of 20 and through the years, Brandi has worked there for more than half of her life.

When asked what she likes most about working at Airways, her answer is like most of the other people that work there. “It’s the camaraderie and feeling like you are working with family”. She also loves that it only takes her five minutes to get to work.

Born and raised in Northwest Arkansas, she lost her mother at the age of six, leaving her father to raise her. His strength and perseverance got them through a trying time, and he is easily one of the most influential people in her life.

Brandi settled down in Fayetteville and married her high school sweetheart Brad. Together, they raised a beautiful daughter Britni. Her family members also include a Yorkie named Noah and a Maltese named Moses.

A couple of things you may not know about Brandi, is that she is a rocker at heart! She loves going to concerts and she listens to all types of music. Other things she enjoys to do, are spending time with friends and family, going to the movies, travelling and shopping. She is an avid bargain shopper, and loves to shop at vintage stores, flea markets as well as second-hand stores and she’s always quick to let
you know of a new boutique that’s opened in the area as well.

Brandi considers herself loyal, honest and fun-loving. Everyone else feels the same. She is always quick to assist someone and by the sound in her voice, you can hear her pleasant attitude daily.

Employee Spotlight: Erik Fortin

When you think of someone dedicated and hardworking, one of the first names you’ll come up with at Airways Freight would be Erik Fortin.

Before joining Airways, Erik was a receiving manager at a local department store. He joined the Airways team in June of 2003. With a soon to be wife, Erik was looking for a company that didn’t have a lot of turn over and valued its employees, a friend recommended Airways. Erik is now a Domestic Division Manager and is labeled one of Airways most dedicated and loyal employees.

Besides getting to talk to people all over the country, Erik’s favorite part about working at Airways is the constant problem solving that goes into handling freight and making sure the shipment gets to where it needs to be, on time.

Erik was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and moved to Elkins when he was 3 years old. He has been in and around Northwest Arkansas ever since. Erik grew up on a farm, and learned early on from his Father, who has been the most influential person in his life, the value of hard work.

When Erik is not working, he loves to go turkey hunting, as well as deer bow-hunting. He has fond memories of taking his little girl Ayla hunting. Their trips mostly consisted of her eating donuts, drinking chocolate milk, and him carrying her around. One of his most cherished memories is taking Ayla on a real turkey hunt at the age of 9. When she had her bird in under 45 minutes, he found out she was a better hunter than he is.

Besides hunting, Erik’s favorite past time is cooking. He loves to come home after a stressful day and cook delicious meals that other people enjoy. He loves to cook BBQ specializing in pulled pork, brisket and chicken with all the sides, coleslaw, potato salad as well as his own BBQ sauces. His favorite dessert to make is Crème Brulee.

Erik’s life highlights are getting married, the birth of his daughter Ayla and his son Mason.

Erik’s reputation at Airways is one of loyalty, trust and dedication. He’s worked hard for his accomplishments and he’s one of the best in the industry.

Employee Spotlight: Bryan Weingart

Bryan Weingart

Loyal, driven and competitive. Those are three words used to describe Bryan Weingart.
Growing up in Sarasota FL, Bryan’s drive and competitive side was obvious early on. Bryan was always into sports. He excelled in baseball and football, and his competitive side lead him to Olympic weightlifting and Strongman competitions.

Bryan previously served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2009 he was deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom and was there during Operation Strike of the Sword/Operation Khanjar which was the biggest offensive airlift of the Marines since the Vietnam War. From there Bryan attended the University of South Florida and received a bachelor’s degree. He did his internship at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and accepted a full-time position after he graduated.

After moving to Arkansas, Bryan started his journey with Airways in July of 2015, he began working with the Night Operations team, quickly moving on to be where he is now in the Ocean Imports Division. When asked what attracted him to Airways, he replied “the camaraderie of everyone”.

When not at work, Bryan is currently attending the U of A and working on his Master’s degree. He loves to hang out with his wife and baby girl. He likes watching sports and attending sporting events. Bryan has been to many different locations while serving in the military, since then he has been to Ireland, Switzerland and his latest trip was to China for two weeks this past July.

One of Bryan’s favorite quotes is surprisingly a quote from Teddy Roosevelt. Looking at all his accomplishments, it describes his character very nicely.

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

On top of being loyal, driven and competitive, he is very humble. When asked if he had any hidden talents he replied, “I’m still waiting to discover it”. To this day, his top three life highlights are his daughter, getting married and graduating boot camp.

When talking with some of Bryan’s co-workers the consensus is the same. Bryan also has an abundance of other great qualities. He’s very dependable, admirable and responsible, yet doesn’t take himself too seriously. He’s a great co-worker to have, sarcasm and all!