custom companies proudly supportsreduce stress in your day-to-day activities. rethink workaholic...

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Hello Readers, Winter is upon us again offering its opportunities for winter sports and activities that can only be had this time of year. The Custom Companies hopes you are having a great year and we look forward to having an even better 2016. Can you find Perry’s moustache hidden within this issue? Submit your answer to [email protected] no later than Thursday, December 24th for your chance to win a gift card. Thank you. THE NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE TABLE OF CONTENTS WCPF Toy Drive Maintenance HQ Custom Spotlight Halloween Winners Heart Health Christmas Joy Ride NFL Logistics The Stork Truck Wreaths LA Football Cooks Corner Holiday Decorating Referral Program Job Board VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016 The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com Custom Companies Proudly Supports the Walter and Connie Payton Christmas Toy Drive 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Every year for the past thirteen years The Custom Companies has partnered with the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation during the holiday season to collect toys for needy children in our communities. The Custom Companies helps collect and store the toys each holiday season and then delivers them to multiple community agencies located around the area who distribute them to needy children. The Custom Companies proudly supports the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation in this effort to bring a little joy to children in our community and invites employees and their families who want to participate to bring in toys that are: for children ages newborn to 18 years old; new in their original packaging; and unwrapped There will be drop boxes marked for the toy drive placed throughout the Custom Northlake and LAX offices. “We can’t think of a better way to bring the joy of the holidays to children in need and hopefully make a difference in their lives.” said Perry Mandera, President of The Custom Companies. When setting up this event for the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation ,Walter Payton said “Gifts during the Holidays for abused and neglected children may not seem like a lot, but in terms of establishing self-worth, confidence, and a feeling of pride, I believe it may mean everything. I want them to feel good about themselves and to have self-esteem and self-respect they deserve - just as much as the kid down the street. Can you imagine the impact this has on these kids?..... Can you imagine?” Walter Payton #34

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Page 1: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Hello Readers,

Winter is upon us

again offering its

opportunities for

winter sports and

activities that can only

be had this time of

year.

The Custom

Companies hopes you

are having a great year

and we look forward

to having an even

better 2016.

Can you find Perry’s

moustache hidden

within this issue?

Submit your answer to

[email protected]

no later than Thursday,

December 24th for

your chance to win a

gift card. Thank you.

THE NEWSLETTER

COMMITTEE

TABLE OF

CONTENTS

WCPF Toy Drive

Maintenance HQ

Custom Spotlight

Halloween Winners

Heart Health

Christmas Joy Ride

NFL Logistics

The Stork

Truck Wreaths

LA Football

Cooks Corner

Holiday Decorating

Referral Program

Job Board

VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Custom Companies Proudly Supports

the Walter and Connie Payton

Christmas Toy Drive

1

2

3

4

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Every year for the past thirteen years The Custom

Companies has partnered with the Walter and Connie

Payton Foundation during the holiday season to collect

toys for needy children in our communities.

The Custom Companies helps collect and store the toys

each holiday season and then delivers them to multiple

community agencies located around the area who

distribute them to needy children.

The Custom Companies proudly supports the Walter

and Connie Payton Foundation in this effort to bring a

little joy to children in our community and invites

employees and their families who want to participate to

bring in toys that are:

• for children ages newborn to 18 years old;

• new in their original packaging; and

• unwrapped

There will be drop boxes marked for the toy drive placed throughout the Custom

Northlake and LAX offices. “We can’t think of a better way to bring the joy of the

holidays to children in need and hopefully make a difference in their lives.” said

Perry Mandera, President of The Custom Companies.

When setting up this event for the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation ,Walter

Payton said “Gifts during the Holidays for abused and neglected children may not

seem like a lot, but in terms of establishing self-worth, confidence, and a feeling of

pride, I believe it may mean everything. I want them to feel good about

themselves and to have self-esteem and self-respect they deserve - just as much as

the kid down the street. Can you imagine the impact this has on these kids?..... Can

you imagine?” Walter Payton #34

Page 2: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Did You Know???

Given the different

time zones, Santa has

31 hours to deliver

gifts, but his reindeer

really have to fly,

since that means

visiting 823 homes

per second.

Dreaming of a green

Christmas?

Household waste

increases by 25

percent between

Thanksgiving and

New Year’s Day.

In the United States,

trash from wrapping

paper and shopping

bags totals 4 million

tons.

The U.S. Postal

Service delivers 20

billion cards and

packages between

Thanksgiving and

Christmas Eve.

An average of 5,800

people end up in the

ER after suffering

injuries from holiday

decorating.

According to data

analyzed from

Facebook posts, two

weeks before

Christmas is one of

the two most popular

times for couples to

break up.

However, Christmas

Day is the least

favorite day for

breakups.

Christmas trees have

been sold in the U.S.

since 1850.

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Custom Installs New Maintenance Facility

To support the ongoing maintenance of Custom Companies tractors, trailers and other

equipment Custom Companies has built a new indoor facility to house our

maintenance team in Northlake IL. The facility constructed of PVC fabric over a

galvanized steel frame has heat, power & water and enables Custom to better support

our equipment throughout the winter and during bad weather events.

Page 2 VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

Page 3: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Did You Know???

Christmas trees

usually grow for

about 15 years before

they are sold.

In Poland, spiders or

spider webs are

common Christmas

trees decorations

because according to

legend, a spider wove

a blanket for Baby

Jesus. In fact, Polish

people consider

spiders to be symbols

of goodness and

prosperity at

Christmas.

President Teddy

Roosevelt, an

environmentalist,

banned Christmas

trees from the White

House in 1912.

The first person to

decorate a Christmas

tree was reportedly

the Protestant

reformer Martin

Luther (1483-1546).

who was so moved

by the beauty of it he

brought home an

evergreen tree and

decorated it with

candles to share the

image with his

children.

The first Christmas

postage stamp was

issued in the United

in 1962.

In Germany,

Heiligabend, or

Christmas Eve, is

said to be a magical

time when the pure in

heart can hear

animals talking.

Page 3

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Page 3

LAX Truckload

Yuri Kalika & Adonay Hernandez

LAX Dispatch: Ivan Aguirre, Refugio Banda &

Jose Lara

LAX Warehouse: David Reyes LAX Night Ops: Manny Contreras

LAX Sales Team: (L to R) Ron Pearce, Greg

Blankenship, Garrett Schafer, Jody Gregory, Cory

Faucher, Robert Propp, Ryan Camarena, Bruce

Laracuente & Kelly Karczewski

Spotlight on Custom Companies!

LAX Teams

Page 4: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

December

Birthdays

Arthur Verastigue

Greg Blankenship

Ricky Smith

Meraldo Miranda

Iryna Harchevska

Ramir Sison

Ron Jenkins

Tyrone Toney

Pam Hanley

Rob McDonald

Juan Morales

Rich Vitez

Steve Coffey

Tim Brown

Dale Majcina

Carol Weiss

Bob Gude

Mike Rickwartz

Wanda Giovingo

Roger Hudon

Jose Esquivel

Rich Wade

Adam Swade

Van Thompson

Todor Kalemov

Page 4 VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

12/2

12/3

12/3

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12/5

12/5

12/8

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12/19

12/20

12/20

12/20

12/21

12/21

12/22

12/26

12/27

12/27

12/28

12/29

12/30

Halloween

Custom’s Annual Halloween Costume Contest Winners!!

Individual Costume Prizes:

FIRST PLACE: Peach – Clinton Perrot - CMS

SECOND PLACE: Flower - Clete Janik - Accounting

THIRD PLACE: Saw – Edith Ron – Safety & Marshmallow Man- John Trevino –

OS&D

Department Contest Prizes:

FIRST PLACE: Mario-Kart -- CMS

SECOND PLACE: Garden – Accounting

THIRD PLACE: The 80’s – Claims/OS&D & Asylum - Safety

Page 5: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

December

Anniversaries

Juan Mata

Steve Laue

Clete Janik

Ramone Dino

Richard Vitez

Bruce Watry

Gerald Coleman

Juan Espinoza

Lech Mruk

Clarence Cross

Roger Peralta

Jacob Orvis

Sam Villardito

Jeremy McCarty

Steve Hatcher

Lisa Ludwikowski

Michael Rio

Chris Sharp

Page 5

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Years

21

20

18

11

10

10

10

8

8

4

4

3

3

2

2

2

1

1

Page 6: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Did You Know???

The Viking god Odin

is one precursor to

the modern Santa

Claus. According to

myth, Odin rode his

flying horse, Sleipnir

(a precursor to

Santa’s reindeer),

who had eight legs.

In the winter, Odin

gave out both gifts

and punishments, and

children would fill

their boots or

stockings with treats

for Sleipnir.

Commissioned by Sir

Henry Cole (1808-

1883), British

illustrator John

Callcott Horsley

(1817-1903) invented

the first Christmas

card in 1843.

Retailers rely on

several psychological

triggers to attract

consumers into their

store, such as placing

limits on items,

offering “gifts” with

purchase, employing

visual tricks, and

declaring that sales

are ending soon.

Many “door buster

deals” advertised on

Black Friday, such as

those on expensive

items (like HDTVs),

are typically in very

limited supplies—

maybe just 4-6 per

store—and act

merely as lures to

attract customers.

Christmas purchases

account for 1/6 of all

retail sales in the

U.S.

Page 6 VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Health Tips for Life By Mayo Clinic Staff

It's never too late to take steps to prevent a heart attack — even if

you've already had one. Here are ways to prevent a heart attack.

Medications. Taking medications can reduce your risk of a subsequent heart attack

and help your damaged heart function better. Continue to take what your doctor

prescribes, and ask your doctor how often you need to be monitored.

Lifestyle factors. You know the drill: Maintain a healthy weight with a heart-healthy

diet, don't smoke, exercise regularly, manage stress and control conditions that can

lead to heart attack, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Your lifestyle affects your heart health. The following steps can help you not only

prevent but also recover from a heart attack:

Avoid smoke. The most important thing you can do to improve your heart's health is to

not smoke. Also, avoid being around secondhand smoke. If you need to quit, ask your

doctor for help.

Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If one or both of these is high,

your doctor can prescribe changes to your diet and medications. Ask your doctor how

often you need to have your blood pressure and cholesterol levels monitored.

Get regular medical checkups. Some of the major risk factors for heart attack — high

blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes — cause no symptoms early on.

Your doctor can perform tests to check for these conditions and help you manage them,

if necessary.

Exercise regularly. Regular exercise helps improve heart muscle function after a heart

attack and helps prevent a heart attack by helping you to control your weight, diabetes,

cholesterol and blood pressure. Exercise needn't be vigorous. Walking 30 minutes a

day, five days a week can improve your health.

Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight strains your heart and can contribute to

high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Eat a heart-healthy diet. Saturated fat, trans fats and cholesterol in your diet can

narrow arteries to your heart, and too much salt can raise blood pressure. Eat a heart-

healthy diet that includes lean proteins, such as fish and beans, plenty of fruits and

vegetables and whole grains.

Manage diabetes. High blood sugar is damaging to your heart. Regular exercise,

eating well and losing weight all help to keep blood sugar levels at more-desirable

levels. Many people also need medication to manage their diabetes.

Control stress. Reduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits

and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life.

If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. For healthy adults, that means up to one

drink a day for women and men older than age 65, and up to two drinks a day for men

age 65 and younger.

Page 7: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Did You Know???

The busiest shopping

day of the year is not

Black Friday, but the

Saturday before

Christmas.

The busiest online

shopping day takes

place on the Monday

or Tuesday a week

before the week of

Christmas.

Researchers have

proven that a “50%

off” sign leads in

increased sales, even

if shoppers don’t

know the original

price or what a

reasonable price for

the product would be.

Retailers take

advantage of

traditional Christmas

smells and tastes to

attract customers. For

example, retailers

may waft the smell of

roasting chestnuts

throughout their store

and offer free

samples of Christmas

cookies.

Holiday smells and

tastes also stimulate

the saliva glands,

which makes

shoppers hungry.

Hungry shoppers are

more likely to buy

anything, not just

food.

December 15-24th is

the crux of the

holiday shopping

season, accounting

for 40% of holiday

business.

Page 7

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Christmas Joy Ride By Mary Poreda

Book Review

Author: Melody Carlson

Christmas Joy Ride is a delightful

little book that is perfect for curling

up with over the holidays or giving

as a gift.

Eighty Five year old Joy has sold her

house in Chicago and is supposed to

take a flight to Phoenix to be closer

to her sons who have arranged for

her to move into an assisted living

center. But, Joy has a different idea.

Before Joy’s husband passed away,

they had planned to take their mobile

home on a trip down Route 66. Now

she intends to get it out of storage,

deck it out in Christmas decorations,

and drive it down Route 66 all the

way to Phoenix.

Joy entices or “guilts” Matilda, her

30 something, down on her luck,

neighbor and friend would put it, to

come along for the ride. What Matilda does not know, is that Joy has planned several

stops along the way and she has quite an adventure in store! So with surprises on the

way and possibly a miracle or two, why not pick up a copy of “Christmas Joy Ride”

and let Melody Carlson bring a little cheer your way this holiday season!

Christmas Around the World

China - A traditional Christmas dish in China is called Eight Treasures Duck. It is a

whole duck stuffed with eight different ingredients because the number 8 in Chinese

culture symbolizes wealth.

Bulgaria - A twelve course meal consisting not of meat but of nuts, dried plums, cakes

and Banitza pastries and walnuts which you crack to determine your fate next year.

Mexico - Resembling baby spinach or rosemary, romeritos is a plant that is typically

mixed with shrimp and potatoes, all covered in mole sauce. A popular Christmas and

Lenten dish, romeritos is a Mexican classic full of flavor and awesome spiciness.

France - In France, celebrating on Christmas Eve is the norm and it typically consists

of staying up at least until midnight to celebrate and eat. Oysters and Foie Gras (duck

or goose liver) are both common dishes for the holidays.

Page 8: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

January

Birthdays

Jon Kofoed

Fred Shirley

Jesus Bucio

Jim Miller

Brendon Heneks

Arturo Ortega

Luis Tirado

Danielle McMillen

Ivan Aguirre

Bruce Wisdom

Ed Ciganek

Roland Abuan

Rommel Camahalan

Jose Cedeno

Willie Jackson

Vincente Sanchez

Richard Shaw

Iza Czarnewicz

Darrell Gaw

Raymundo Bago

Gustavo Diaz

Greg Montoya

Rafael Rodriguez

Carlos Huicochea

Chris Nicholson

Parry Bell

Brian Villardito

John Skiba

Juan Mata

Rich Ross

Tom Inman

Allan Marino

Joseph Adas

Jessica Sturges

Page 8 VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

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NFL Tackles Data with Logistics Tech

By Bryan Robbins

If there's one thing diehard football fans love, it's statistics. How far was that run? How

many yards on that throw? Pass completion ratios, pass reception ratios, yards-per-

catch, first downs, and point spreads are just the beginning. Thanks to technology born

in the world of logistics, a few more yards have been added to the list of available stats.

When it comes to crunching numbers, the National Football League (NFL) is an old

pro. The NFL has been reporting stats in some way or another since its founding in

1920, and today tracks statistics for 256 American football games every year, across 31

different full-time stadiums, for more than 1,600 players. That's no small feat.

But there are always more things to measure, more data to capture, and more efficient

ways to capture it. To date, NFL statisticians have devoted countless intensive man-

hours to manually measure distances on the field, or review photographs and recorded

video, in order to compile stats. While those methods still have their uses, many data

points simply couldn't be captured by traditional means.

So the NFL began to explore other options to enhance its existing data collection

methods. After exploring myriad camera-based optical solutions that didn't go in depth

enough, the NFL began looking at tracking and location solutions. Going down this path

led them to Zebra Technologies, a provider of tracking solutions for industries ranging

from manufacturing, to transportation, to healthcare.

The NFL and Zebra evaluated the kind of technology it was looking for, and came up

with active Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS). RTLS is an active RFID solution that

uses a wireless signal to track the exact location of a tagged piece of equipment.

Through a series of receivers, the transponder's location can be constantly monitored.

This is the same technology typically employed to track assets in a distribution center or

warehouse to track players on the field.

Tracking the movement of a player on a football field and tracking the movement of an

asset, pallet, or case in a warehouse aren't so different from each other. Zebra's

experience with installing RFID tracking in yards and warehouses translated easily to

the NFL's sports complexes. In each of the NFL's 31 stadiums, Zebra hung between 20

and 22 receivers to collect data.

Much in the same way information is reported in high-volume, fast-paced shipping

operations, this sort of speed enhances the NFL's ability to present fans and analysts

with statistics both in the stadium and on the TV networks.

Popular sports have begun to implement practices that manufacturers and logistics

providers have been using for years. If the big data trend has taught any lesson, it's that

there is value in compiling as many stats on your assets and products as possible. The

NFL knows that, and other sports likely won't be far behind. Enterprise asset

management isn't just for logistics and manufacturing anymore.

Page 9: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

January

Anniversaries

Robert Eldrige

Martin Bolanos

Greg Robinson

Mark Dannhauser

Larry Charnot

Tom Dunaj

Millie Rodriguez

Erick Lucena

Ruben Medina

Armando Ortiz

Rich Ross

Milton Ayala

James Anderson

Jose Lara

Bruce Laracuente

Megan Luscombe

Ramiro Villarruel

Robert Khairo

Dan Osinski

William Garcia

Tim Diaz

Alfredo Fierro

Erik Goff

Elvira Smajic

Page 9

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Years

19

14

14

11

10

10

10

10

9

9

7

6

5

5

5

5

3

3

2

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1

1

1

1

The Stork & The Bell

Congratulations go out to Victor Garcia on the birth of

his daughter Samira Adina Garcia born on November

17 - 2015 at 7:07 AM. weighing 4 lbs. 8 oz.

Christmas Activities By Linda Haralampopoulos

Looking for something to do indoors with the family this holiday season? Bring

them to Chicago's Navy Pier’s Winter Wonder fest. It’s good fun for all ages.

Congratulations also go out

to Marvin Manadier on the

birth of his daughter Marlee

Rose born 12/1/15

Congrats to Nora Rubi

(Dispatch) and Matthew

Krezel (Russ’ son) as they

tied the knot on Saturday,

November 21st at St. Mary of

Czestochowa Church in

Cicero, IL.

For our LAX families, go check out The Grove, LA's shopping mall metropolis

lights up it’s Christmas tree as Seth MacFarlane sings with a 55-piece orchestra and

Meghan Trainor.

Page 10: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Page 10 VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Rolling Tribute Wreaths

By Bryan Robbins

In an effort to show support for

veterans and honor their

families this holiday season,

Wreaths Across America

(WAA), a nonprofit

organization best known for its

annual wreath-laying ceremony

at Arlington National Cemetery

is teaming up with Truckload

Carriers Association (TCA) and

Pilot Flying J to launch the

trucking industry’s first annual

rolling tribute. The

organization plans to hand out

1,000 free wreaths to professional truck drivers to kick off the tribute.

Each driver’s wreath is one half of a Trucking’s Patriot Pair, and the remembrance wreath in the set will

be laid at Arlington National Cemetery by volunteers on National Wreaths Across America Day.

Professional drivers and all those who would like to participate by ordering the Trucking’s Patriot Pair

online at http://www.truckloadofrespect.com — are being asked to stop at a local cemetery on Wreaths

Across America Day, remove the wreath from their grill and place it on the headstone of a veteran.

“This idea started after seeing many of our volunteer professional drivers participating in the annual escort

to Arlington remove the wreaths affixed to the grill of their rigs, and place it on a headstone once we made

it to the cemetery,” said Morrill Worcester, founder, Wreaths Across America. “This very personal

expression of gratitude was shared in pictures and online and became a symbol of how dedicated the

trucking industry is to supporting our nation’s military.” For this reason, WAA is asking all drivers

participating in the rolling tribute to photograph and share their experience online using #rollingtribute.

Trucking’s Patriot Pair is a new option of support for all professional drivers, and can be ordered online at

http://www.truckloadofrespect.com and shipped directly to the driver’s specified address. With a donation

amount of $30, drivers will receive one wreath and fasteners for display on the grill of their tractor, and a

second wreath will be placed on a veteran’s headstone at Arlington National Cemetery. In addition, all

drivers who donate will receive a WAA window decal and $5 from every purchase will go directly to

TCA’s National Image Campaign.

“Many professional drivers in the trucking industry have a personal connection to the armed forces and

recognize the sacrifice that fallen heroes have made in the name of freedom,” said Deborah Sparks, vice

president, Truckload Carriers Association. “This tribute will be a constant, visual reminder of the

dedication our drivers have to this remarkable organization and will help further TCA’s National Image

Campaign mission of increasing awareness and promoting a positive image of the trucking industry.”

Page 11: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Page 11

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

The LA Controversy! By Cory Faucher

The NFL will hold its annual

December meetings this

week, and they could not

come at a better time.

Typically, the league's owners

convene for a one-day

meeting on labor issues. This

year, however, the main topic

of conversation will be the

Los Angeles situation. The

league's various committee's

will meet Tuesday, and the

owners will gather

Wednesday for closed-door

meetings at a resort. The

league will discuss specific

issues pertaining to the choice

between building a stadium in

Carson or Inglewood as the

primary topic to ensure the

NFL’s 2016 Los Angeles

aspirations are still possible.

Three teams have made their desire to move to the LA market known: the St. Louis, Rams, The Oakland

Raiders and the San Diego Chargers. However, they have been received by other teams with tempered

excitement, as having two teams from the AFC West, the Raiders and Chargers, in the same building, holds

a competitive advantage as they would travel far less than their competitors. Such an arrangement would

be unprecedented in the NFL as the other stadium that supports two teams, Metlife stadium in New Jersey,

the home of both the New York Giants and Jets, houses two teams in different conferences. These

discussions allow for a vote in January or February to determine if any of these teams can begin selling

tickets to the Los Angeles market for 2016. With the Rams eyeing an expansive complex in Inglewood next

to the Forum and Hollywood Park Casino, and the Chargers and Raiders looking towards a facility in

Carson adjacent to the 110 and 405 exchange, we will find out much in the upcoming week about the future

of the NFL in our market. Our LAX sales team is extremely excited for the prospect of potentially three

NFL teams moving to Los Angeles from an entertainment standpoint!

Page 12: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Cooks Corner By David Lorge

Chicken Wings

with Orange-Mustard Glaze

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Marinating time: 1 to 2 hours

Grilling time: 30 to 40 minutes

1. In a medium saucepan whisk the sauce ingredients. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat and

simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Place the wings in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in half of the sauce; reserve the other half.

Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to coat the chicken, place the bag in a bowl, and

refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

3. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over low heat (250° to 350°F).

4. Remove the chicken from the bag and discard the sauce left in the bag. Brush the cooking grates clean.

Grill the wings over direct low heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is no longer

pink at the bone, 30 to 40 minutes, brushing with the reserved sauce and turning occasionally. Serve warm.

Halibut with Lemon and Caper Dressing

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 minutes

Grilling time: 10 to 14 minutes

Rub

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 halibut fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each and about 1 inch thick

Extra-virgin olive oil

1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

2. Cut a ½-inch slice off both ends of each lemon. Cut each lemon in half lengthwise. Lightly brush the cut

sides of the lemons with 1 tablespoon of the oil.

3. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the lemons over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as

possible, until nicely browned, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once. Remove the lemons from the grill and allow to

cool. Squeeze the lemons through a sieve into a small bowl. Discard the rinds and seeds. You should have

about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add the capers, then whisk in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil to form a

dressing. Whisk in the rest of the dressing ingredients, and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

4. In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients.

5. Generously brush the halibut on both sides with oil and season with the rub. Grill over direct high heat,

with the lid closed as much as possible, until the halibut just begins to flake when you poke it with the tip

of a knife, 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Whisk the dressing one last time. Serve the fish warm with the

dressing poured over the top.

Page 12 VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

Sauce & Ingredients

⅔ cup cider vinegar

⅓ cup Dijon mustard

⅓ cup orange marmalade

1 teaspoon prepared chili powder

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

½ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

16 chicken wings, wing tips removed

Dressing

2 medium lemons

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Page 13: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

Page 13

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Stay Home for the Holidays By Linda Haralampopoulos

It’s that time of the year again. Hosting your annual Christmas/New Year’s Party can be stressful and

expensive, what better way to decorate your table with a DIY creation. All of these ideas use items you may

already have or can make and help keep the fun up and the cost down this holiday season.

Page 14: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Page 14 VOL. X NO. 6 December / January 2015 / 2016

Page 15: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

Page 15

Page 16: Custom Companies Proudly SupportsReduce stress in your day-to-day activities. Rethink workaholic habits and find healthy ways to minimize or deal with stressful events in your life

The Custom Companies, Inc. - 317 West Lake Street Northlake, IL 60164 - www.customco.com

The Custom Companies, Inc. 317 West Lake Street

Northlake, IL 60164

708.338.8888 Office

708.338.9550 fax

[email protected]

The Full Service Transportation Company

www.customco.com

www.customgl.com

www.gocdn.com

Newsletter Committee Members

Jay Cohen

Agostino Chiaramonte

Cory Faucher

Carol Guarino

Linda Haralam-

Popoulos

Kris Larson

David Lorge

Megan Luscombe

Tom Mroz

Mary Poreda

Bryan Robbins

Bonnie Zotos

How about you?

At The Custom Companies, our main

objective is to deliver your goods on time

and in perfect condition. We understand the

importance of a great customer – vendor

relationship. Our customer service center is

just a phone call away to provide a rate

quote, track a shipment, schedule a pickup

or access accurate documentation. In todays

fast paced environment, we work to provide

transportation solutions that

fit every economic situation.

Our “Customer First” program ensures that

your shipments will be delivered on time

and with the highest degree of care. In order

to maintain these standards, we measure

performance levels on every shipment. As a

result our internal operational systems are

constantly improving to provide better,

more accurate service, allowing our

transportation specialists to meet your

growing needs.

Customer Service Support