OTA Dispatch Issue 4 2017

LILE, Past & Present The company, known today as Lile International, started in 1959, when Wendell Lile purchased a small moving company, Barker Mayflower for $10,000. With close proximity to several military bases located near Tacoma, the original location naturally gravitated toward executing military moves for the Department of Defense. Taking that experience, Lile expanded into the realm of household goods, adding locations in Longview and Seattle, WA, followed by Portland and beyond, making the company a household (moving) name in the region. Like many young adults, Diane began working for the company part-time during the summers. Building on what she learned from working with her father, Diane officially came onboard as a full- time employee in the late 70’s. She started her professional progression in Dispatch at the Tacoma office. She transitioned to running the Eugene location for about 15 years, until relocating to the Corporate Headquarters located in Tigard in 1996. With an informal succession plan in place, Diane took over as President once her father passed away in 2001 and his business partner retired in 2002. After almost 60 years in business, Lile has now grown to over 350 employees and operates in eight locations across the two states, plus the corporate office in Tigard, OR. The business is divided into four business segments approximately equal in terms of annual revenue: household goods; military (both as a service provider and a carrier); office and industrial, and warehousing and logistics. The “International” moniker was added when the company operated a location in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Although that location has closed and all Lile locations are within the US, the company still conducts international-to-domestic and domestic-to-international moves, including for the military. In addition to the accomplishments above, Lile is also an agent and the eighth largest booker for North American Van Lines, which has over 500 agent locations. Lile is also affiliated with Specialized Transportation Inc (STI), a division of CRST, that specializes in transporting high value products. NOT JUST TRUCKING Like all moving and storage companies, Lile is in the trucking business; however, the moving business differs from traditional trucking. “The moving and storage business involves a more personal interaction with clients,” Diane commented, “There is a stronger emphasis on people and their valuables, delivering directly to homes and 16 Oregon Trucking Associations, Inc. Oregon Truck Dispatch