Get to Know MDNA Premier Vendor - Northwest Shippers

Phil Dalrymple in his Northwest Shippers office, in Puyallup, Wash., Behind him is a wall displaying memorabilia from the life of his grandfather, the late Daryl Dalrymple, who fought in the World War II Battle of the Bulge and was taken as a prisoner of war by German forces. The elder Dalrymple was freed from the prison camp by Allied forces and discharged by the Army in 1947, to return home to Paso Robles, Cal. The display includes Pfc. Dalrymple’s Army hat, his Honorable Discharge certificate, and newspaper stories detailing his imprisonment, liberation, and return home.

Whenever you need to transport something — whatever the quantity and wherever the destination — Northwest Shippers can get it there for you.
 
Versatility and load economy are the bywords at Northwest, which — not surprisingly — is located in the Pacific Northwest and does business in every mainland state as well as Canada.  Owner and CEO Phil Dalrymple launched the brokerage in 1990 and it has recently attained Premier Vendor status with the MDNA.
 
Think of Northwest as the go-between for machinery manufacturers and contract haulers, primarily using both Conestoga-style curtained trailers and regular flatbed transport.  After securing a delivery schedule and safety requirements from the client, Phil finds an available shipper, negotiates a price for the job, and makes the pickup/delivery arrangements.
 
“We are strictly a broker and a broker can do deals with specialty pieces,” he said in a recent interview. “In the machinery world, things can get damaged very quickly if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
 
Phil hails from Hollywood — yes, that Hollywood. He moved to Washington at age 16 when his father, a Baptist pastor, was called to serve there. Growing up in the metro Seattle city of Puyallup, Phil went to college and wasted little time finding work. “I was offered a job as a freight broker so I dropped out of school,” he recalled. “It took me two years to become the top salesman for the company and, at that point, I didn't have a need to go back to school.”
 
But he did go back, picked up an associate’s degree in business and quickly expanded his trucking contacts.  Northwest Shippers, Inc., was the result. Now, Phil and an experienced and closely knit staff of six — all living and working in the state of Washington — take care of business coast-to-coast. Regardless of the complexity of the job, Phil knows what keeps Northwest rolling.
 
“We take care of our people, because they're professional and we need professionals,” he explained. “Customers understand they have people who know what they’re doing, who’ll talk to you daily when we’re moving freight for you. The importance of relationships can’t be stressed enough.”
 
Northwest will arrange most machinery and high-end metal shipments that are not both overweight and over-dimensional. Phil says customers are usually relieved to find a less-than-truckload load option, which can save them both time and money.
 
Northwest Shippers became acquainted with some MDNA member businesses about a dozen years ago, and those contacts resulted in referrals for Premier Vendor status.  Phil sees the achievement as validation of his approach to his work.
 
“There’s a niche in our market for professional people who do a good job, who do the best work possible,” Phil declared. “That’s our goal and we're pretty good at that. People are more important than money. I tell my customers: ‘You need me — and I need you!’ That’s my philosophy and we do business that way.”

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