At H&M Bay, our employees come from all areas of the country, however, what is consistent in all of them is
that they are committed, compassionate, hardworking individuals who come together to form one big family.
Once in a while, we come across people on our team who demonstrate exceptional levels of commitment to
their craft and the outcome of such excellence is that they break the traditional landscape, opening up doors
for others.
One individual who certainly exemplifies these traits to the fullest is Crystal Cheney. Crystal’s decorated
resume showcases many of her tremendous achievements. However, her most significant contribution is
how she has broken the mold of a male-dominated industry to open it up for women.
International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8. It is a day to magnify women who are trailblazers and
have broken down barriers in the business, economic, political, and social fields. Her awe-inspiring journey is
a culmination of persistence and perseverance in both her personal and business career. Her strong
leadership qualities and perseverance have help to lead H&M Bay to new heights over her nearly 15 years of
service in the sales department.
Crystal’s journey in the trucking and food transportation industry dates back to 1988. While she did not have
much experience at the time, what she did have was a high level of eagerness to learn and succeed in each of
her roles
“I started trucking in 1988 at the age of 23, where I was in customer service for three years and then went to
on to dispatch,” said Cheney. “About six years later, I went to C&C Trucking, where I was named operations
manager.”
Since she arrived in the industry, she has seen various transformations, which include the rise of the internet
to conducting business during the pandemic. Undoubtedly, one aspect that has seen no change is her
commitment to excel at her position while additionally representing the family-oriented culture at H&M Bay
in and out of the office.
After a brief stint at C&C Trucking as operations manager, Crystal went to work for Buel Incorporated, where
she quickly worked her way up from sales to vice president. In her time as vice president, her talents were on
full display as the company grew exponentially.
“The president of the company came to me one day and asked if I wanted to run the company,” said Cheney.
“I was promoted to the vice president position, and in 11 years, the company grew from 35 trucks to 155
trucks.”
After 11 years at Buel Incorporated, Crystal came to H&M Bay in 2007. At H&M Bay, she has found family,
but something that has followed her wherever she has gone is the clients with whom she developed
relationships.
“Even though I have been with multiple companies, the clients that fostered relationships 25 years ago are
still with me today. That’s how I have been so successful because of the relationships I have built through the
years,” added Cheney. “These customers took care of us during the hardest times, and it is important that we
take care of them too.”
One word to describe the industry Crystal started in initially versus today is diversification.
“It’s more dominant for women to be in my position now. When I first started there were no women at my
position or the conferences,” said Cheney. “If there were women at the conferences, they were the wives of
the attendees.”
In addition to celebrating her 15th year at H&M Bay, it also marks 10 years since Crystal was declared breast
cancer-free. Even during the hardest of times, her spirit never wavered, and the H&M Bay family was there
for her every step of the way. Her ear-to-ear smile, infectious laugh, and personality are the embodiment of
H&M Bay culture.
“I had four surgeries in six months, and it felt like Santa Claus came to see me every single day as I was
getting chocolate-covered strawberries and tons of care packages,” said Cheney. “I do not think I could
describe this company in just a few words, I have so much love for H&M Bay in my heart.”
Family is a core staple of the company culture at H&M Bay, and Crystal is not afraid to show her appreciation
for anyone she has come across.
“I don’t even know what words I could use to describe H&M Bay. When people say their job is like a family, it
really is like that here,” added Cheney.
Wherever Crystal has gone, she has opened up doors for women by breaking the male-dominated mold of
the trucking and shipping industry. Every new position that Crystal had along her journey placed her in
unfamiliar waters, but she was always looking to grow and expand her skillset. If there was a way to succeed,
she found it.
She truly embodies the best qualities that any company would love to have as an employee. Her legacy is
cemented, but what keeps her going is the drive to be a better employee, friend, co-worker, and wife every
single day. H&M Bay is grateful to have her as a part of their sales team and serving our customers for nearly 15 years.
