Expo 2026: Your Playbook for Logistics Success
Expo 2026 is just around the corner, and we're gearing up by releasing a previous episode, all about what to expect at our biggest event of the year.
In this episode, we dive deep into what to expect from the Route Consultant Expo 2026, featuring insights from experts Stephen Rhein and Butch Butler. Gain exclusive previews on sessions, trends, and strategies that will help contractors in the logistics industry succeed. Whether you're in the FedEx, bread distribution, or other logistics spaces, this is packed with valuable knowledge on how to navigate operational challenges, growth opportunities, and much more. Join us and prepare to make smarter investments and build stronger businesses in 2026 and beyond.
There's still time to register!
About Expo 2026
Expo 2026 is the premier national event for route-based business owners and investors. Join 1,000+ entrepreneurs, 50+ industry vendors, and 30+ hours of expert-led training in Nashville, TN. Whether you’re looking to diversify, grow, or connect with fellow contractors, this is the place to fuel your business for the year ahead.
Join us on January 8-9 in Nashville, TN to connect, learn, and get real solutions for your business.
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Josh Gregory: [00:00:00] Welcome to Industry Insights with Route Consultant, your front row seat to the fast moving world of logistics and beyond. Each week, we bring you game changing insights, real world strategies and fresh perspectives to fuel smarter investments and build stronger businesses. Join us as we sit down with expert guests to explore emerging trends and pressing topics.
Across a wide range of industries. This is industry insights.
All right. Welcome everyone. Today we are focused on the Route Consultant Expo, and to talk about it today, we have Steven Rhein, one of our experts in the bread industry.
Stephen Rhein: Yes, thank you. Uh, excited to be here.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And then we also have Butch Butler, one of our experts in the FedEx space. Thank you. Happy to be here.
And so for anybody who doesn't know, who hasn't been to one before, the Route Consultant Expo is our biggest event of the year. This is a space where we really try to bring together contractors from across the [00:01:00] country. Uh, we have sessions over 30 hours of sessions, thousands of attendees, and really this is our chance to come together to learn and really make sure that everyone's prepared for 2026.
And so what we wanted to do today is to just spend some time. Give a little bit of a quick sneak peek on what to expect for this upcoming expo. Now, before we go too far, you know, I, I said each of your names, but I wanna make sure people really know who you are. So Butch, can you just give a little background on yourself and kind of what you do here at Route Consultant?
Butch Butler: Yes. Thank, thank you. Um, I've been fortunate to be at Route Consultant since the very beginning. Um, in that time I've managed teams, but generally what I do is I manage a team of brokers, um, and we work. West of the Mississippi and I do a lot of the large line haul that we, that we work with here at Rock Consultants.
So it's been a great journey. I've helped hundreds of people into and out of the space and, and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to do it. It's been really fun. Perfect.
Josh Gregory: Alright, Steven, you're up next.
Stephen Rhein: Yeah. Yeah. Excited to be here. Thank you, Josh. Um, I came on board with Rock Consultant [00:02:00] to help launch a lot of the bread content.
Mm-hmm. Um, I've been in the contractor space for almost 20 years. I, I jumped onto a bread truck just right outta high school. So, um, I've seen the industry kind of from every angle. Mm-hmm. You know, I first started working for companies that didn't sell routes, uh, then became an owner operator and then eventually scaled to multi truck.
So, um, I have really seen the industry from every angle excited to be here.
Josh Gregory: Yeah.
Stephen Rhein: Perfect. And now you're helping others get into it too. That's right. Yeah. There, there's a lot to learn in the grocery space, so it, it's a really good business. Um, there's a lot of things about it that, that. You can really be advantaged by.
Mm-hmm. Um, if you understand.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. Perfect. Well, I'm happy to have you here and happy to have you teach others about it. So, uh, you know, Steven, uh, I think last year was your first time going to the route consultant, exo. It was. So tell me a little bit about kind of that experience for you. What it, what it felt like and if it matched what your expectations were.
Stephen Rhein: Yeah, yeah. Last year in Dallas was amazing. Um. Hundreds and hundreds of people there. Um, it was great to see, you know, an event like this for people in the contracting space. There's never [00:03:00] been, you know, an opportunity to engage with other contractors, you know, meet vendors, people that you need in the industry to be successful.
Um, and so having Route Consultant put this on, I, I felt was a great value add to, you know, not only myself, but other people thinking about getting into
Josh Gregory: this space. Yeah. And, and for Brett in particular, I think a lot of times there's just, you mentioned that there's not really a good event for this. I, I find a lot of people.
Just kind of operate with the contractors they know in their depot, but don't really have an event to come together and learn. So really that was part of why we started to bring bread into the fold of this space.
Stephen Rhein: Yeah, that's exactly right. I remember, um, my mentor one one day telling me, if you want to do something, well find someone winning.
And just copy what they do. Yep. Um, and the nature of contracting is, is really fragmented. So if there's someone you know across the country doing something really well. Oftentimes you don't hear about them. So, uh, th this is a great forum to, to come together and learn. Yeah. Perfect.
Josh Gregory: All right, so that's your perspective now, Butch, I know that that last year was [00:04:00] not your first time.
I think you've been to every expo since we started. So tell me a little bit about what Expo started as versus kind of how we talk about it now.
Butch Butler: Well, yes, I, I've been to every expo. Um, each one of 'em is a little bit different, but every one of 'em is fantastic. Really. I've, I've had a great experience at everyone and we get great feedback from every expo.
The first expo that I attended, uh, we really were trying to create that sense of community, uh, among the contractors. And at the time, there really weren't. The same type of vendor relationships and the awareness of, of who you worked with in the space. So we tried to bring people together and, and we had no idea really how it was going to turn out.
So much so that, yeah, Spencer offered to pay everybody $300 who would show up. Um, and we did, and Spencer and I went to the bank the Friday before or got $30,000 out, and Spencer and Carly handed. $300 to everybody who came in. And it was a tremendous success. And we learned a lot that year. We made a lot of progress in terms of creating that sense of community.
And it was, it was just the beginning of something great. Yeah, and
Josh Gregory: it's just crazy to, I mean, I, I. I think that's probably the most cash that I can [00:05:00] even imagine somebody just going to the bank for, for completely valid reasons to hand out. Uh, and just the image of Spencer and you walking outta the bank with $30,000 is always just hilarious.
Well, he took a leap of faith. It was my
Butch Butler: second day of work, so we were just getting started. He really didn't know me very well, but yeah, I was, I was at the bank with
Josh Gregory: him,
Butch Butler: so it was fun.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And we are no longer giving out $300 cash prizes for attending, but it is still completely free to attend. And we, we are always committed to, to making it an event like that.
So, you know, it's evolved over the years, but when you think about it today, what are some of the things that kind of come to mind is the, the best things and why, why you think contractors keep coming back?
Butch Butler: I think the relationships that people create, I mean, I know personally the relationships I've been able to create with contractors and vendors at the expo, they go a long way towards what we do to help people throughout the year.
Mm-hmm. I think contractors benefit from talking with other contractors. They enjoy getting together in a format, in a forum that they don't have access to anywhere else. So I really think it's just that sense of sharing ideas, getting to know each other, um, [00:06:00] and creating a sense of community that that drives the expo.
Yeah.
Josh Gregory: And, and you know, we mentioned it for bread, but it's the same for almost any of these logistics industries where there's a, it's really hard to find one place where you can go and get, you know, real truth or hear, really learn things. Facebook's a forum, but it doesn't always work in the ways you want it to, to really find actionable ways to be successful.
And this is an event where you meet so many people, you come together and you have a great time, and learn from those who are doing it well and learn from people who've struggled and find the best ways to be successful in whatever market. and economy we find ourselves in. So I, I think that will always hold true.
Uh, and I, I know part of it is, is the, the learnings, the meeting with other contractors and other vendors, and part of it are, are some of the educational sessions that we put on. So I wanna touch on those a little bit. So, we'll, we'll come to FedEx first. So, so Butch, one thing that I know we, we talk about FedEx is kind of this one.
Industry, but realistically, pickup and delivery and linehaul are [00:07:00] two very different sides of the coin with very different challenges. And so we do really make sure to have sessions and tracks for each separately. But let's talk b and D first. Uh, so I know that. You know, if you were just to kind of think about some of the biggest things people were talking about and, and whether it's struggling with or trying to find success with, what, what's kind of top of mind for contractors when you're talking to 'em today?
Butch Butler: Really navigating 2.0. Um, and as you know, it's, it's different across the country. There are different phases of it, so the uncertainty that that brings to the outlook of the business, the changes that may come to the CSA because of 2.0, all of that right now is, is just top of mind for contractors and it's something that we've covered.
Personally already we'll cover again at the expo. Mm-hmm. Education has always been the backbone of route consultant and, and that's really what drives our expo too. So, um, I, I know we're gonna cover it, but 2.0 is definitely top of mind for contractors.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And I mean. It's, it's again, the fragmented nature of things.
There can be things happening in one pocket of the [00:08:00] country that may very closely mirror what you'll experience in, you know, the other side of the country. But you just don't know. There's no one to ask. You don't know to find the right people. So what we're trying to do is we'll have several sessions really focused on what are the operational realities.
Both of what it's like before 2.0 comes when you know, what are the signs to, to see that it's coming imminently to your terminal. Also, what is it like in that transition period? What are the different things we've seen from a a contract standpoint? How can you negotiate around certain key variables if your CSA is changing and, and how do you really stay on top of that and still find ways to be financially profitable?
And, and then most importantly, I think what a lot of people really have the questions of, okay. Once 2.0 happens, what happens to me? How do I still make money? Is it, you know, the end of the world? Is it something that's so different that I'll have to completely relearn all of the processes and all of the, the playbooks that I've created?
And I think the answer is not that it's a complete rewriting, but it is different. And there are some things [00:09:00] you need to learn and some ways to be successful. So we'll have contractors who've done it for a long time, some contractors who are fresh in that model and really. Help find ways to be successful, to talk through some of those challenges and find the right ways to, to find a path forward.
And that's ultimately what this is all about, is as these changes happen, how do we find ways to be successful? So I know that's top of mind for P&D and, and it's, it's, it sounds like one topic, but really it's a wide variety of content and, and I think. Basically everything that's related to P&D that we'll be talking about at the event is going to be colored by 2.0.
It is the, the new normal for FedEx. It's where they're putting all of their energy, all of their money. So even if we're talking about hiring or if we're talking about safety, it's going to be, what does that look like? How do you be successful at it and how do you do that in this new 2.0 model? Does it change?
And how do we continue to make sure that we're successful? And so that will color almost all color conversation with P&D and, and it should, rightfully, should. And as an investor, you know, I think [00:10:00] there's a lot of those same questions. I'm sure you're, you're seeing those from buyers as well. That's
Butch Butler: absolutely right.
I mean, we talk about the operational impacts of 2.0, but really as a contractor and a business owner, it, it impacts how and when you can sell your business as well too. And as an investor, you need to. Consider what the, the ultimate impact of 2.0 is gonna be to A CSA that you may be buying. So when we think about it from the, the bro broker role and, and helping people create liquidity and get into the space 2.0 is a massive factor on timing and when and what you can actually sell right now.
Mm-hmm. Or buy for that matter. Yeah. And so if FedEx is 2.0 is not only an operational challenge, but it is affecting how people transact these businesses
Josh Gregory: as well. Yeah. If you had an exit plan. It may be changing dramatically in real time as you're trying to, to figure out if FedEx will even let you sell, or if they'll say you have to wait two months, or if they'll say, sell right now, or you're waiting six months.
And, and we'll try to help you through all of those different timelines. And we've obviously seen a bunch of it, so if you're, if you're going through it, we can help you, but, [00:11:00] uh, we're gonna try to. Paint that picture as clearly as we can.
Butch Butler: Well, and the challenge is a lot of these terminal managers really don't know.
Yeah. When or what is going to happen. So that's your source of contact along with SPS and they don't necessarily have the information they need to give you Yeah. The answer. And it's frustrating at times for people, because like you said, they may have an exit strategy, a timeline they're working on.
Investors want to get into this space under, under a timeline as well. Mm-hmm. So identifying those challenges on the front end of a transaction and what's gonna happen with the CSA is really meaningful. Yeah.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And, and I think that's a great point. You know, sometimes as a, as a contractor, you feel really frustrated with your terminal manager not knowing everything, but you know, they're subject to a giant behemoth of a company where information passes down as needed.
Uh, and so sometimes going to an event like this, you may learn information and strategies and timelines faster than your terminal manager just because you're hearing about it from people across the network and seeing what works and what doesn't. It, it's a, it's a unique thing, but because of the information fragmentation within FedEx itself, this might actually [00:12:00] be your best way and your best source of truth.
Butch Butler: Absolutely. Yeah. Route Consultant is uniquely positioned to see these transactions in real time across different regions. Yeah. And to get the feedback that we're getting in real time. So we probably have the best insight into. Across the country where is 2.0 and how is it impacting contractors currently?
Yep.
Josh Gregory: So we'll talk all about that. Uh, so, so let's pivot a little bit from P&D. I know line haul is kind of your world, so what are, what are some of the big things, big questions happening in that space right now?
Butch Butler: Well, I'd say in the last few years I've seen a lot of what I'll call institutional capital flowing into the line haul space.
Mm-hmm. Um, there is just more. Interest in owning Linehaul from an institutional perspective than I've ever seen. Mm-hmm. So that's one thing that is really driving the market, driving valuations. Um, but the operational aspect of it is, you know, FedEx is always doing things to improve their network. Um, and 2.0 is a big driver of that on the P&D and the line haul side.
Mm-hmm. Um, recently we've heard that. They're going to be moving some of the team run freight to rail. Yeah. And the opportunities that that [00:13:00] creates, I think, locally around these rail yards is yes, some of these teams are gonna be affected and they're gonna be moving that freight instead of across the country.
They will be moving freight back and forth over and over again all day to these rail yards. So if you think strategically about the opportunities that this move may create, I see a lot of solo activity being created in certain markets around rail, where they're gonna be removing these teams. So it's, it's not a, just a negative that.
The rail is happening, it's just gonna change and impact the network. And you've gotta look for the opportunities because you know they're gonna come.
Josh Gregory: Yeah, that's right. Yeah. The composition of Linehaul could, and there's always the opportunity for it to change, you know? That's just how FedEx is going to continually restructure and reinvent their network as needed.
But yes, if team runs go away, you know. The rail is gonna travel some distance, but rail can't go to every terminal. There's gonna have to be a significant amount of solo and spot work to get that rail volume to the distributed network. So there's going to be a changes. But it, like you said, part of what we'll be talking about is [00:14:00] as these things happen, as these changes in the network happen, how do you best position yourself for growth?
How do you build a plan around that? And, and it's always gonna be one of those things where, here's what has worked for some, here's what's worked for others. If you're all team runs, how do you think about transitioning into any solos or spots? You know, if you've never done those types of runs, who do you go to learn from to figure out how to do those most effectively?
I think this is a, a time for that, where any of those types of changes, you shouldn't be locking yourself into. Just teams or just solos as there's a lot of, you know, fluctuation and flexibility in the network. You're gonna find the most growth, the most growth and the most opportunity if you're open to different opportunities.
If, as long as you're not locking yourself in
Butch Butler: and it's, it's not really new. We saw FedEx do a lot with capacity on the line haul side, during and through COVID. Yep. And then afterwards take some of that capacity out. It is necessary and right for them to do the things they need to do to optimize the network.
Yeah. Um, there will be growth opportunities that come [00:15:00] out of it though, right? It's just a matter of. Finding where you're gonna get this growth and spot and solo work and positioning yourself to be able to take advantage of it. Yeah,
Josh Gregory: a hundred percent. And, and I think there's also a, a whole conversation we'll be having around, you know, many linehaul contractors that might be in, in kind of the smaller business side and around three to five runs.
How do you start to take the step to a larger business? You know, whether it's focusing internally on how you build it and find opportunities or partnering with, you know, outside capital or another contractor. We're gonna have a, a few different sessions around how do you really grow and continue to build on the line haul side, which is a different I.
You know, series of steps than P&D, it does look different. It does feel different. So
Butch Butler: it's even different than it was a year ago because of the scale changes, right? Mm-hmm. Yep. So FedEx is encouraging that larger contractor and offering people the opportunities to be larger than they used to offer them.
So, uh, I think you're gonna see a lot of people kind of grow into the changes in the network. And, and if you know how to position yourself and you do it well, you can build a very nice business with it.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And across both P and [00:16:00] D, P&D and Linehaul we're gonna be touching on, you know, what are the ways that we've seen people maximize profitability if you're focused on operating today, but also if you are looking at an exit ramp, what are the ways you maximize that exit price and that sale price?
And that's always gonna be an ongoing conversation that we have tons of data on, on saying where people's expenses are trending. And how to be most effective in a, a variety of cases, but valuations, obviously, we're always gonna bring that data and talk through that. Whether you're an investor trying to get in or a contractor thinking about how to get out, that's always gonna be an important conversation point.
So we'll pause on P&D for now. Uh, and, and I'll let you out of the hot seat, Butch. So Steven, uh, we'll go to you next. So I, I think just to start, you know, there's a lot of people who are familiar with the FedEx space and have kind of dug into that, but if they're still new to Bread, if you're still trying to figure out if bread distribution is something you should be interested in, why would I be excited about Bread?
Stephen Rhein: Yeah, great question. I mean, the grocery business, I think as a whole, um, is the [00:17:00] number one. Marketed to place you visit on a weekly basis. So this is a big expenditure on, um, consumers, you know, weekly and monthly budgets. And so there, there's a lot of business there. Um, bread really offers some unique on-ramps with, you know, in-house financing.
They're acquirable businesses, um, and you can scale them. You know, similar to FedEx in, in a great way. Um, you have a recession-proof business. Um, people need bread, milk, and eggs on a weekly basis. So, uh, that's one reason that, that I've been excited about the bread space grocery in general. Mm-hmm. Um, and there's some unique changes coming, you know, to even the grocery side.
Like, like Butch alluded to on the FedEx world. Um, every company is trying to get better. They're trying to grow, they're trying to improve margins, trying to win with more customers. And that's really where, you know, route consultant can be a great asset to you as an investor. Um, or if you're just exploring the space, you know, get the education, it's really important.
Josh Gregory: Yeah, a hundred percent agree. Uh, and it's funny, you know, we talk about it being recession proof. We hear all the time of people saying, okay, well I'm not [00:18:00] buying white bread anymore, or I'm not gonna buy X kind of bread, but they just move to another healthier bread option. It's just one of those things where.
Bread tortillas. Uh, you know, those are a staple of our economy and we try to find industries whenever we bring it to investors that are recession proof, that are stable and that we've shown have growth. So as you're trying to get into one of these models, it really makes sense and you can feel a lot of security getting into it.
Now we talk all the time about e-commerce on the FedEx side of saying, you know, this is, it's, it's booming, it's growing. This is where the industry is going. This is where buying behaviors are going. But we, you know, like we just said, bread is all in store, has e-commerce and that boom affected the grocery space.
Yeah, without
Stephen Rhein: question. Um, you know, looking to the future, I think it's always important to know the catalyst behind those. And then there are really two over the last five or 10 years, first when Amazon bought Whole Foods. Mm-hmm. You know, that really shot, made a shock through the industry. And now all of a sudden this online customer, you know, is now [00:19:00] uniquely positioned with hundreds of retail.
You know, brick and mortar locations nationwide. You know, Walmart and Kroger really took a big notice to that. And so that really accelerated online shopping. The second, of course, was COVID. You know, there was not an industry that wasn't affected during that time. People started shopping online in ways that they haven't before, and now, you know, there's data points being gathered on consumers, their buying habits.
Products that they interact with. You know, this is really gonna change the industry over the next 10 years, um, for contractors that understand it and can position themselves well to benefit from it. So we have, you know, insights on the customer that we didn't have years before. Mm-hmm. Um, you mentioned buying habits, you know, moving toward healthier breads.
I know, um, we've seen all over our social media sourdough bread in the last, you know, two years. And so all these events. Tend to move toward more of a premium price point. Mm-hmm. Which accelerates growth, um, and also margin for the contractor and the company.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. [00:20:00] Yeah. It's, it is a good point. You know, as we continue to shift our mindset to buying healthier options, those aren't cheaper options typically.
Right. So as a, as a distributor, those are higher margins. So, uh, I, we will be talking about, you know, how the grocery space is changing and how fulfillment. It really has to be even, you know, it's, it's an even harder thing to deal with. And when you've got different pressures from Walmart and those types of vendors on, you know, you have to be ready for online fulfillment and it just has different things that are required of you as a distributor, but how do you still be successful in that and find the ways to be the most profitable.
And then one thing you touched on, you've built to be a multi route operator. So I, I do think a lot of people in this industry exclusively view themselves as, you know, I. Built this business where I have one van, I am the, the owner of the business. I drive it and you know, I'll pass this down to my kids.
And that is a completely valid way to look at this space. But are we seeing different opportunities here to continue to build this, to be a multi route operator in the bread [00:21:00] or grocery space?
Stephen Rhein: Yeah, that's, that's what makes grocery so unique as is you have the unique ability to continue on as an owner operator as your business grows.
If you want to, you know. Um, chop off pieces, sell off half. Um, keep it as an owner operator position. You can certainly do that. Um, but you can also grow and scale and turn it into multi truck if you want to manage employees and, and grow and scale the operation. So, um, no matter what your investing goals are, there's a pathway for, uh, the grocery business to be successful for you.
Just depends on how you wanna approach it.
Josh Gregory: Yeah, and we'll talk about that. We'll talk about building those types of growth strategies in this space, because I do still see this industry as something that is very similar to where FedEx was, you know, 10, 15 years ago, where there were a lot of single route operators and it was a consolidation effort by FedEx.
But I think there's an opportunity, and there's a lot of the bread distributors, the, the actual bakeries themselves seeing mm-hmm That there is some value. In bread route operators being multi [00:22:00] route operators and achieving that scale of managing employees and operating where you're not in the truck every day.
And so as we continue to to help contractors reach that point, there's a lot of education on how do you be successful as a multi route operator. And so part of it is, is, you know, doing the job well, but also building the back office and the business to do so, which, you know, obviously we've seen across the board in a variety of logistic spaces over the years.
And we can help people build that back office and build a growth plan as they're thinking about how do I get off of a truck? Yeah. And, and still make money in this business.
Stephen Rhein: Yeah. As an owner operator, you know, you are, you're the HR manager, you're the fleet manager. Yeah. You know, you manage everything about that and, and getting time off, taking vacation with your family mm-hmm.
Becomes a challenge. So that was the biggest thing I found as an owner operator, was it was difficult to get that time away. And as you grow and scale, you know. Economies of scale just benefit everything. Yeah. So you start bringing on managers, you step aside and start working on your business rather than in your business.
Um, makes for a better [00:23:00] work-life balance. Everybody seems to be happier.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And we'll talk about valuations, we'll talk about all of that as well when we get into the, to the bread side at expo two around, you know. What does a good business look like? What are the right expense scales and, and what are these typically trending at?
So again, that that is where a lot of our additional expertise lies, and so we'll make sure that whether you're looking to get into the space or thinking about exiting, that we help you think through what that looks like. So, um, those are some of the biggest things. I know we'll be talking about FedEx and P&D and, and Linehaul and, and Bread, but, uh, I just wanted to make sure that people listening know that those are not the only two industries we'll be talking about.
So this is not exclusively an event for FedEx and Bread. Uh, obviously if those are two industries that you're interested in, we will have plenty for you to learn and talk about. But we continue to wanna make the expo a place for logistics professionals in the last mile space to come together and learn.
And that. Includes more than just FedEx and Bread. So you'll hear from Amazon Security, waste Management, and a variety of other models that we're gonna continue to [00:24:00] bring to market as we find those right fits. And the things that we think that people will really, uh, you know, learn from and benefit from if they jump into those models.
And even if you're laser focused on FedEx or you're laser focused on bread. You can learn a lot from other logistics professionals being there. There may be a waste management tool that helps you schedule that, saves you hours over the course of a week. Or you may go and talk to an Amazon distributor that is crushing the hiring model, and you can take those same strategies, that same playbook, and bring it to FedEx or bread and really benefit from it.
So we want to continue to make this a place where. There's tons of people there that you can learn from, ask questions, and find the right way to be successful. We're all in the same economy. We're all operating with the same types of drivers, same types of trucks for the most part. And so there's plenty you can learn from others who are there, and we wanna make sure that, uh, whatever industry you're interested in, we're gonna have some content and some ways for you to find value on it.
Now, uh, before we go too much farther, I, I just, I, I wanted to give kind of a, a quick opportunity at [00:25:00] the end here. We've talked a lot about content and different things. Just to come back to, for each of you, if I was just gonna, you know, if you were gonna have a minute to give a. Uh, one or two sentence, why would you come to expo?
I just wanna give each of you kind of a, a last thought on those two. So I'll, I'll let Butch go first and Steven talked last.
Butch Butler: Thank you, Josh. Um, I would say coming to the expo truly is a unique experience. You're only gonna get to do it one time a year in one place, and. The people that come are all facing the same challenges you're facing.
Everyone has their right ideas about how they can fix it, but learning from the other people, meeting the people that you may never get a chance to meet, those things are invaluable at the expo. I mean, I, I, I know personally I've made great relationships. I know contractors who I've introduced to other people that they stay great friends.
They share business practices, the content that we provide. It is just top to bottom and extremely fun and energetic, few days. Um, and what people take from it is, is a great experience. A lot of fun memories and a lot of [00:26:00] knowledge.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. it is definitely a lot of fun. I I, I won't write that part of the equation off.
Butch Butler: Yes, it's definitely
Josh Gregory: fun. Yeah.
Stephen Rhein: Alright, Steven. Yeah, well, well said Butch. Well, I mean, the value add to expo is, is tremendous. Right? Nashville's a great place to come visit if you're looking for some, for some business write offs. Nashville's a great place to do that. Yeah. Um, tons of free content, right? This is a, this is a great forum for people to come together in the industry, um, to meet with other vendors.
You know, if you are. Serious about getting into the space and you want to find the people that you need a part of your team to make a business run successfully. You know, we have, um, pathways there for you to make those introductions. Um, it's a great place to learn. It's a great place to explore and, um, and think about what's to come.
Josh Gregory: Yeah, and you know, we say free content, we've, that also includes free food and free drinks, which contributes to the fun. So, however you're thinking about coming it, it is an event that you know, you can learn a ton and we wanna make sure you have a good time in Nashville. And again, big picture. This is an event where [00:27:00] our goal is to help you build the right playbooks to be the most profitable, the most efficient you can be in 2026 and have the fewest headaches.
So really that's how we design the event. That's what we want everyone to get out of it. Coming to Nashville at the beginning of January is a great way to begin the year. Uh, you know, you can kind of take a reset after peak season and start to plan and really be set up for 2026. So for anyone who's still interested, uh, we do have registration that's open now.
You just go to the website. But the most important thing is also to make sure you book your hotel room. Those will fill up as we continue to, to progress through the year. And so make sure you get those locked in and, you know, tell other contractors, tell Ev anybody else that you talk to free for them as well.
And just to that point, if you happen to refer somebody and you both come and you come to the table together, we'll give you a $25 gift card. So not just free. We are still doing a little of those, those cash in bags, handouts to people. So it, it's a great time and I, I'm really looking forward to both, you know.[00:28:00]
Uh, spending time with you all there and for everybody to come in Nashville and hopefully we will see everyone's listening and, and all the contractor community there in January, 2026.
Butch Butler: And on the FedEx side, we encourage you to bring your bcs. Yes. I mean, it is a very neat event for them as well too. And, um, and so it's, it's tremendous opportunity.
Bring your team if you come. It's, it's well worth it.
Josh Gregory: Yeah. And they'll thank you for it. They'll have a good time too. Yes. Yes, they will. Perfect. So, uh, I'll end it there for this one. Um, there is plenty more content to come. We. Just barely scratch the surface of what you can expect, and the schedule will be live soon as well, so that you can see all of that, see all of the sessions that are coming, and we'll continue to update that as we get closer to the expo.
Uh, so there will be some things that come out a little bit later, but we wanna make sure that, uh, everyone is locked in and we will hopefully see all of you in early January.
