On August 29, the Erie SeaWolves hosted an interactive experience called “Tiger Tales” with two of the greatest players in Detroit Tigers history – Lance Parrish and Alan Trammell. Lance and Alan led the Tigers to a World Championship in 1984 and combined to earn 14 career All-Star Game selections, seven Rawlings Gold Gloves, and nine Silver Slugger Awards. The Erie SeaWolves, meanwhile, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Erie, Pennsylvania. They play in the Eastern League as the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers and were recently purchased by Fernando Aguirre.
Logistics Plus (LP), a local sponsor for the Erie SeaWolves, was able to include the son of LP employee Kristen Rzodkiewicz in the Tiger Tales experience. Kristen’s son Jacob is a huge baseball fan and player. He plays for the local Harborcreek Little League and also a Harborcreek travel team. As part of the Tiger Tales experience, Jacob enjoyed the following activities (as shown in the slideshow to the right):
A behind-the-scenes visit to the SeaWolves clubhouse hosted by Lance and Alan.
Listened as Alan and Lance shared rarely told stories of life in the Major Leagues and answered questions from moderator and SeaWolves owner Fernando Aguirre.
Was able to ask Alan and Lance his own questions about baseball lore and their careers.
Took live batting practice swings on the field at Jerry Uht Park.
Snapped photos and received autographs with Alan and Lance.
Participated in (and won!) a raffle to throw a ceremonial first pitch at the game.
What an awesome way to spend the day for a baseball fan of any age. Thank you Mr. Aguirre, Lance and Alan for allowing “one of our own” to experience such a special day!
Logistics Plus (LP) was contacted recently by the Great American Stations Project to prepare a case study on how Erie Union Station was converted for commercial use. Amtrak® established the Great American Stations Project in 2006 to educate communities on the benefits of redeveloping train stations, offer tools to community leaders to preserve their stations, and provide the appropriate Amtrak resources. The case study documents Logistics Plus founder and CEO Jim Berlin’s quest to restore the old station, create a cool vibe for his company, and support economic development of downtown Erie. The author of the case study summarizes the keys to the successful commercialization of Erie Union Station as follows:
LP renovated the station to suit modern office and commercial tenants
Experimented with a tenant mix that responds to local market demands
Station was one of the first large-scale building rehabilitation projects in Midtown
LP continues to participate in wider efforts to support neighborhood redevelopment
Renovation maintained the station’s historical integrity.
Thank you to Patrick Kidd, Senior Communications Specialist for Great American Stations Projects and Amtrak Archives for producing this case study in support of train station development. You can read the complete case study by clicking the image below. You can also download a PDF copy of the case study by clicking the thumbnail image shown above.
Last week Thursday, Logistics Plus was given the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at an Erie Seawolves baseball game in Erie, PA. The person selected for this honor was Jesus Mireles de la Cruz “La Guera,” the father-in-law of Logistics Plus employee Alfredo Ayala. In addition to being Alfredo’s father-in-law, Jesus is also a former Double A player from México and was one of the Little League players that played at Williamsport in the 1960’s (Liga Pequeña Industrial from México). You can watch a short video of the first pitch on the Logistics Plus Facebook page.
(Pictured below on the left is Alfredo, Jesus and an Erie Seawolves player; in the center is Jesus and his grandchildren (Alfredo’s children); and on the right is a player recognition plaque for Jesus)
A couple months ago, Logistics Plus formally kicked off its campaign in support of the American Heart Association (AHA) Erie County Heart Walk. Jim Berlin, founder and CEO of Logistics Plus, is chairing the overall 2015 Erie County Heart Walk fundraising program for the community. The goal is to raise $225,000 before the event takes place on September 12, 2015. So far, over $78,000 has been raised through local individual and corporate donations.
Logistics Plus has eight teams, and over fifty employees participating in the campaign. You can view our Company Page and Teams online. Please visit the site and consider supporting one of our teams with a donation. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer of all Americans. In fact, someone dies from CVD every 39 seconds. Heart disease also kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. And congenital cardiovascular defects are the most common cause of infant death from birth defects.
In less than a month, generous individuals and companies will have an even bigger incentive to donate to their local charities. August 11, 2015 will mark the 5th Erie Gives Day, which was started in 2011 in honor of the Erie Community Foundation’s 75th Anniversary. This event runs for 12 hours between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on August 11, and the best part is, your Erie Community Foundation will match a percentage of each donation that you make to your favorite nonprofit(s) when you donate through this website. The more donations made to a nonprofit, the more matching funds that nonprofit will receive.
Donation matching? What better time to support your favorite local charity! If you choose to support the American Heart Association, click here for a PDF flyer with more information. You can also show your support for either AHA or Erie Gives, or both, by copying and pasting either of the images below into your email messages:
Today three representatives from Logistics Plus rappelled “Over the Edge” down a 14-story, 200-foot tall building in downtown Erie, PA in support of Gaudenzia. Gaudenzia helps people affected by chemical dependency, mental illness and related conditions to achieve a better quality of life — allowing them to live as productive and accountable individuals. Logistics Plus (LP) was a main sponsor for the event; and additionally, the LP rappelling team was able to raise another $1,000 for the charity. The three brave souls that climbed down the building today included Logistics Plus founder and CEO, Jim Berlin; North American account executive, Andy Seidler; and international manager, Abi Lopez Kuzma. Another 56 volunteers from around the community are also rappelling for Gaudenzia today.
A couple months ago, Logistics Plus formally kicked off its campaign in support of the 
