Dear editor,

I would like to take a few minutes of your time to let you and your readers know of what I think is an excellent trucking company to be employed by.

I have worked with Southwestern Express – now known as MacKinnon Transport Inc. – for several years and have found them to be a great group of people to be involved with.

Four years ago I thought I was suffering with a bad cold and should have taken a few days off, but I had a load I felt I should deliver in West Virginia (thinking my cold would get better as the days went by).

Little did I know that I would have a heart attack in Erie, Pa. (my cold had turned to pneumonia).

When Bill Kalbhenn got the message of my condition, he immediately had a driver dispatched to pick up my truck and the load was delivered; the truck was then brought back to the yard in Guelph for me.

I even got paid for that trip.

But while I was in the I.C.U. in Erie, Pa., Bill kept in daily contact with my better half, (who was at my side) and even told her if she needed any assistance of any kind to contact him right away as “Southwestern” was part of our family.

When I was able to return to my job, “Mr. Mac” met up with me in the drivers’ lounge at Southwestern and told me to take my time and not push myself.

If I felt like going, not to over do it. I was amazed at how well they treated me.

My health gradually deteriorated more and I had congestive heart failure and recently (just this past May) I had major surgery for an aortic aneurysm and am coming along fairly well.

I have been off my job over a year now and through all of this time the “MacKinnon” family have been just fantastic.

They have not forgotten me, keeping in contact on a regular basis, sending me the newsletters of the goings on of the company, which has meant a lot to me and does help my improvement.

Anyway, “Mr. Mac,” Evan, Bill, Rob, Clarence, all the girls in the office, I sure appreciate all you have done for me and am proud to belong to such a great group as MacKinnon Transport and I hope to be able to return to work in the near future.

A company as good and dedicated as MacKinnon who is interested in their employee’s concerns is few and far between and is much appreciated.

This will never be forgotten. n

Dick McEwen,

Unit #7