by Lisa Townsend | May 21, 2018 | Airways News
What looks, smells, and tastes like seafood, but does not come from the sea? It is that little red “lobster like” freshwater crustacean that has become a Louisiana delicacy and has been a staple for the annual Mudbug Bash held at Airways Freight for the past 30 years!
Also known as mudbugs, Native Americans were first eating the shellfish long before the Europeans arrived. Local tribes would put reeds baited with deer meat into creeks and ponds to catch the crawfish. 
After the Great Expulsion in 1755, Acadians arrived from the Canadian Maritime provinces in Louisiana, and settled along the bayous where crawfish were abundant. According to Cajun legend, after the Acadian (now called Cajuns) were exiled in the 1700’s from Nova Scotia, the lobsters yearned for the Cajuns so much, that they set off across the country to find them. Their journey was so treacherous that the lobsters began to shrink in size, and by the time they found the Cajuns in Louisiana, they had shrunk to the size they are now. Upon their arrival, festivals were held in their honor and what was once known as the smaller lobster, was now called crawfish.
In July of 1983, the Louisiana Governor approved a law appointing the crawfish as the state crustacean, thus becoming the first state to adopt an official crustacean.
From having the stigma as a “poor man’s food” the crawfish has increasingly become popular among the local Louisiana people, and in 1960 after Breaux Bridge was named “the Crawfish Capitol of the world”, the first Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival was held. Restaurants began incorporating the crustacean into their menu and creating delectable dishes such as Crawfish Étouffée! .
Thirty years ago, Dale Caudle and the employees of Airways Freight started enjoying those delicious little crustaceans with an annual Mudbug Bash. The crawfish were brought in courtesy of our Louisiana agent, Scott Beeman who delivered them personally from Monroe, Louisiana.
To this day Scott has been supplying Airways Freight with nearly 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of crawfish each year and cooking them up for all of their employees, agents, family, and friends to enjoy. And what a better way to enjoy crawfish than with the tasty customary side dishes like potatoes, mushrooms, and corn on the cob all deliciously seasoned with that spicy Cajun flavor.
So, whether you call them crawfish, mudbugs, crayfish, crawdads or yabbies’ we all feel a little bit of that Cajun joie de vivre when we peel the tail off of that divine little crustacean and pop it into our mouths!
by Lisa Townsend | May 14, 2018 | Airways News
Known throughout our organization as the “Guy who gets stuff done”, you can always count on Dustin Bro to be there. His work ethic and always giving 110% has made him an exceptional employee and Airways Freight suitably recognizes his success.
After hearing about Airways through Ken Center, Dustin began his employment working in the Night Operations Department in March of 2012. After a year he decided to transfer to the Trade Show Department and has been there ever since. He now has an extended family and loves all the people he works with.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dustin moved around quite a bit as a child. He has lived in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Kansas, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and lastly Arkansas. One of six children, there was never a dull moment growing up. He and his twin brother Justin, never ceased to find things to do. When they were not being home-schooled, they were always camping, fishing, hiking, canoeing, and enjoying the outdoors.
At seventeen years old, Dustin attended culinary school in Atlanta, Georgia and in 2006 he enlisted in the Army Reserves as an E4 Specialist/Cook and stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Dustin has been married to his wife Kristin for eight years, and he has said that she gives him a reason to keep changing, learning, and growing. She is his partner and as a team they make each other better. One of the quotes Dustin lives by is “There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue these”. – by Michael Nolan.
Outside of work Dustin does a lot of woodworking and has made some incredible table sets. His skill and attention to detail make each one unique and beautiful.
Always ready and willing to give a hand, Dustin has proven to be one of our hardest working employees. He is friendly and positive, and things would not be the same without him here at Airways Freight.
by Lisa Townsend | May 7, 2018 | Airways News
When it comes to the new generation of employees at Airways Freight, Morgan Bronson is a shining example of ingenuity and skillfulness, that validates the growth and progression Airways has made recently.
Morgan’s journey began in September of last year, after hearing about an opening from her Mother – who had been doing business with Airways for many years. Since then she has made leaps and bounds in learning the inner workings of the freight-forwarding world. She went from doing data entry in the Trade Show department to working in the Night Operations department. Morgan enjoys her job and has a great fondness for her fellow co-workers.
Morgan was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas and attended college at the University of Arkansas. After graduating, she did an internship at Nordstrom’s, in Denver, Colorado for a year which she now feels is one of her greatest accomplishments. Moving to a city of over 700,000 people and not knowing a single soul proved to be quite challenging, but her experience was truly worthwhile.
When it comes to her favorite things to do outside of work, she really enjoys shopping, going to concerts, and attending sporting events. She also has a knack for baking and likes watching her favorite programs on television; The Office, Supernatural and Bob’s Burgers are the ones she watches religiously. Morgan also loves spending time with her Mom and considers her the most influential person in her life; she is strong and successful and one of the smartest people she knows!
Morgan loves to travel and in 2010, Her and her Mother took a trip to Europe. During their visit, they visited every tourist attraction there, including Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. They went from London to Brussels, Belgium. On another trip in 2011, Morgan went with her family and friends to Australia. She experienced scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef as well as visiting the Sydney Opera House. She also saw Ayers Rock and visited areas that were home to many indigenous people. From visiting Notre Dame to eating a camel burger in Australia, Morgan has experienced quite a bit in her life. She wants to continue traveling the world, and she has many more adventures in her future. 
Morgan is very laid back and believes in life, whatever happens, happens. She also has a great sense of humor. She is strong and determined and is successfully building a solid foundation on which to become one of Airways best.
by Lisa Townsend | Apr 30, 2018 | Airways News
There are some places that seem to leave a lasting impression on a person; to Tacie Johnson, Airways Freight was always one of those places. Echoing her 1997 employment, Tacie started her second go-round with Airways in July of 2014 after sixteen years as a homemaker and a short time as a dental assistant.
Her decision to return to Airways was very easy, she had always loved the atmosphere and people. What she loves most now, is the teamwork that is involved in every aspect of the company. Everyone is working to achieve the same goal, and she loves feeling as though she is an integral part of that team.
Tacie returned to Airways as part of the Accounts Receivable department and has also taken on the responsibility of working as the Claims Manager. Her finesse for being able to communicate with customers and her efficiency in organization make Tacie the perfect successor to the position.
Growing up in West Fork, Arkansas, Tacie’s parents still live in the same home that she grew up in. At the age of 13, Tacie started to sing and play bluegrass music. Her instrument of choice is the upright bass, but she also plays the guitar, fiddle and mandolin. During her time as a teenager, she was involved in many bluegrass festivals and played in the same musical circle as Alison Krauss. Tacie’s talent has made a tremendous impact on her life. She feels very blessed and loves to play music whenever she can. She frequently plays with her band at various bluegrass venues.
Tacie met her best-friend and husband Chad, 23 years ago. They have a 20-year-old son Connor. When time allows, they love to take long drives in the country and like spotting eagle’s nests. They love playing music together and watching old black and white movies. One of their favorite places to go is the infamous Wooden Spoon Restaurant in Gentry, Arkansas, which makes the best bread pudding in Northwest Arkansas!
Tacie has a great attitude and is described by her co-workers as “sweet”. One of her favorite quotes is “Let your smile change the world, but don’t let the world change your smile”. She also loves “Happy Girls are the prettiest” by Audrey Hepburn. She always lives by the golden rule, and her sincerity shines. She’s a class act and one of a kind!
by Lisa Townsend | Apr 23, 2018 | Airways News
Surrounded by women for most of his life, Grant has quite the talent for saying just the right things to not get himself into too much trouble! With two sisters, a wife, three daughters, and ten female employees working for him in the Accounting department, having that ability comes in handy!
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Grant was raised a military brat moving from place to place, including Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma and Europe. After choosing the same path, he found himself a Corporal in the United States Army and spent quite a few years living in Germany.
Grant prides himself on his family, and his marriage of thirty years to his wife, Meg. Together they have raised three daughters and a son.
Their first daughter Haley, most recently married, graduated college and is currently working as a Teacher. Their second daughter Erin, is attending medical school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; and third daughter Clare, is attending the University of Arkansas. Their son Jack, has just begun college at Northwest Arkansas Community College.
Grant began his journey with Airways Freight in September of 1989. With next year being 30 years, there’s not one person at Airways that has not had some kind of correspondence with him, new or old. Working as the Accounting Manager, Grant’s objective approach has made him significant in the day to day administration of his department. He’s worn many hats over his tenure, but consequently settled into the world of accounting and has made it his chief initiative ever since.
Anyone that knows Grant, knows he loves to read. One of his favorite authors is Edgar Rice Burroughs, an American fiction writer most notably known for Tarzan and John Carter. One of the first books he ever read was by Sir Walter Raleigh, another fictional writer from the late 1500’s. He was a poet, soldier, politician, spy and explorer and most significantly a writer. His writings told of his explorations and the popularizing of tobacco in England and notably the namesake of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Grant is independent in his thinking, he is cognitive and likes to think outside the box. He comes from a long line of intellectual minds, and even has a sister who is a Romance novelist on the bestseller list.
Grant is congenial and has an impressive knack for feigning the narrative. He has a jovial disposition and complaisant attitude. He also reminds us on the regular that “Every day is a Holiday, and every meal is a banquet”.
by Lisa Townsend | Apr 16, 2018 | Airways News
Dakota began his journey with Airways Freight in November of 2013. Being no stranger to Airways and having some close personal ties, Dakota’s decision to apply was an easy one.
While being in school full time, Dakota always worked at least two jobs. He was eager to work in a place that had great benefits, with room to grow, and had the kind of team morale he had always heard about. He quickly transferred from Night Operations to International Tradeshow Account Manager. The daily challenges and shift in pace as well as the constant variations each day represents are the things that make his job intriguing and are what truly sets Airways apart from anything else he’s ever done.
Dakota grew up in the town of Combs, Arkansas and attended school in St. Paul for a couple of years before transferring over to Elkins, Arkansas and eventually graduating from there in 2009. What stands out the most from his childhood is the vacations he took with his family camping at Roaring River, and also getting to vacation with family friends at Gulf Shores, Alabama.
After the death of his father, Dakota looked up to his older cousin Gary Johnson. From a very young age he was always a great mentor, and to this day, there is never a time when he doesn’t look to him for advice. Dakota is extremely grateful that he has been in his life, and feels he owes a lot to him.
While growing up, Dakota was always the one to make sure he and his friends stayed safe and out of trouble, so sometimes he was referred by them as “the mother hen” of the group.
Dakota is very proud of his family consisting of his wife, Maggie, his son Emmett and another son due at the end of July, Rowan. The connection they share and the trials of surviving the hardships of having a premature baby, only strengthened their bond as a family.
When asked if he had any philosophical views, Dakota believes through experience that when something bad happens, you have three choices… You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.
Dakota likes to read, and also enjoys the outdoors, riding four wheelers in particular. He tries to spend as much time with his family as he can, and he and his wife are looking forward to the arrival of their newest addition.
Dakota is hardworking and dedicated, he has done everything from sports information and working as a pharmacy tech to custodial and parking/transit at the University of Arkansas. His work ethic is a force to be reckoned with and he always gives 110% in anything he does. Dakota’s favorite quote is a line from the movie Gladiator “What we do in life echoes in eternity”. He lives each day ready to take on any challenges, and is consequently creating his legacy.
What looks, smells, and tastes like seafood, but does not come from the sea? It is that little red “lobster like” freshwater crustacean that has become a Louisiana delicacy and has been a staple for the annual Mudbug Bash held at Airways Freight for the past 30 years!
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