New Hamburg’s The Erb Group celebrates 2025 Lactalis Extra Mile Award win

The Erb Group short-haul truckload fleet manager Sanjay Wadhwa, vice president of truckload Kevin Erb and vice president of sales Marty Otten with the Lactalis Canada team at Lactalis Canada’s Carrier Awards Ceremony in Oshawa Nov. 28 after winning the 2025 Extra Mile Award. Photo courtesy of The Erb Group

Galen Simmons, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Executives and staff with the New Hamburg-based company, The Erb Group – one of North America’s largest privately owned refrigerated transportation providers – are celebrating after being acknowledged by Lactalis Canada as going the extra mile in 2025 at an awards ceremony in Oshawa last month.

The Erb Group was presented with the 2025 Extra Mile Award during Lactalis Canada’s annual Carrier Awards Ceremony at the Lactalis Oshawa distribution centre on Nov. 28. The award recognizes The Erb Group’s exceptional capabilities, strong service performance and commitment to supporting Lactalis’ complex network of production facilities across Ontario and Quebec.

“This award means a lot to us because it recognizes our people and the standards we care deeply about,” The Erb Group vice president of sales Marty Otten told the Gazette. “It signifies that Erb consistently surpasses the expectations set for core carriers by delivering exceptional service that exceeds standard requirements.

“When faced with particularly challenging situations, Lactalis regularly turns to Erb, confident in our extensive resources and the expertise of our operations, staff and drivers.”

The event brought together carrier partners from across the region to celebrate those businesses that excel at delivering high-value, time-sensitive freight. Otten, vice president of truckload Kevin Erb and short-haul truckload fleet manager Sanjay Wadhwa accepted the award on behalf of The Erb Group. 

“There’s a strong sense of responsibility that comes with what we do, and our team never loses sight of that,” Otten said. “In refrigerated transportation, going the extra mile means protecting the integrity of the cold chain, communicating proactively and treating every load as if it were feeding our own families. That shared commitment is what sets our team apart and makes strong partnerships like this possible.”

The Extra Mile Award follows The Erb Group’s achievement as Carrier of the Year in 2024, which the company says showcases its consistent performance and ongoing commitment to going above and beyond for its clients.

Founded in 1959, The Erb Group specializes in the timely, protected distribution of temperature-controlled perishable goods across Canada and the U.S. The Erb Group is a family-owned business, hosting over 1,500 employees, 1,000 trailers and 600 power units. Its head office is based in New Hamburg with additional Canadian terminals in Baden, Toronto, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Ottawa, Montreal, Trenton, Winnipeg and a U.S. terminal in Elverson, Pa.