November 2, 2009 (Coppell, Texas) JMC Restaurant Distribution Company, CiCi’s Pizza’s distribution company, held three company-wide trucking Road-eos in order to round up the top drivers who will represent them at the upcoming International Foodservice Distributors Association’s (IFDA) competition.  The safety and skills of both man and machine from JMC’s three distribution locations were tested to determine each winner: Adrian Morman from Dallas, a nine-year team member and two time winner; Mike Schaffer from Atlanta, an eight-year team member and two time winner; and John Foster, a three-year team member. The three JMC Distribution drivers will be sent on to compete at the IFDA rodeo in Nashville, Tennessee in September 2010. Winning at IFDA National’s would result in an award of $10,000 from the company, in addition to anything won at the competition, a 2nd through 4th place showing will result in a $3,000 award. 

The JMC finals road-eo event recognizes the hard work and safe driving record that JMC drivers exhibit on a daily basis. JMC drivers demonstrate their skills and knowledge through a pre-trip inspection and a field course entailing maneuvering an 18 wheeler through a series of obstacles similar to what they would encounter while making deliveries to their customer, CiCis Pizza.

Truck driving road-eos help reduce loss, improve morale and demonstrate safety. Drivers who compete are safer drivers they practice all year, every time they maneuver through congested traffic or back up to make a delivery in a tight alley,” says Robert Kulick, president of JMC Distribution. Their skill and JMC’s safety record bodes well for our customers who trust us to make on time deliveries and the motoring public with whom we share the road.

Over seventy drivers participated in October for the honor of being named JMC Distribution’s road-eo winner at their center. 

We have hosted road-eos since 2000 and the annual event is not only challenging, but has proven to be a lot of fun for those participating. It’s very rewarding to know that your team is comprised of the highest quality of drivers, said Kulick.  Having a waiting list of drivers wanting to join our team indicates drivers see JMC as a leader within the industry. 

JMC awards the first three places in the driver Road-eo with trophies as well as $500 for 1st, $300 for 2nd and $150 for third place. The company also hosts a fork-lift Road-eo and Powder Puff (women’s and non-CDL) competition.

JMC is a unique foodservice distributor that focuses its attention solely on the CiCis system.  This allows the JMC team to thoroughly understand CiCis operations and focus on accuracy, high inventory turns nearly 100 a year and relatively few SKUs.  JMCs high fill rate means CiCis restaurants receive exactly what they order 99.998% of the time, a rarity in the restaurant business.  Many of the JMC team members have worked shifts in CiCis restaurants to ensure a better understanding of their customers needs. 

JMC was founded in 1990 to support CiCis restaurants in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after other 

distributors were unable to keep pace with the vision of great service, low prices and a “whatever it takes” attitude.  When it began, JMC had less than 2,000 square feet of warehouse space and one truck to make the 10 weekly deliveries.  Currently, JMC services over 650 restaurants in 32 states out of its three distribution centers located in Dallas, Atlanta and Richmond, Indiana.  With a well maintained fleet of nearly 60 trucks, JMC runs consistent routes each week to CiCi’s restaurants and returns to one of the distribution bases carrying freight for CiCis and backhaul customers.  This backhaul customer approach helps defray operating costs and allows product costs to remain as low as possible.  With annual sales to the CiCis system and a variety of backhaul customers over $130,000,000, JMC has created a benchmark against which other distributors compare themselves.  JMC only hires drivers with two or more years of experience. Most of their drivers come from referrals, allowing JMC to choose from the best drivers in the business. The company’s drivers routinely comment on having a much better quality of life at JMC than with their former driving job.