Guinness World-Record Breaking Pumpkin at 1,689 Pounds Receives VIP Transport by Driving Team at Cardinal Logistics Management Corporation

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    NORTH SCITUATE, R.I., Oct. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Champion pumpkin grower,
 Joe Jutras of North Scituate, Rhode Island, is blessed with more than a
 green thumb when it comes to pumpkins. On September 26, 2007, Jutras
 harvested the world's largest pumpkin tipping the scales at a whopping
 1,689 pounds, smashing the previous Guinness Book of World Record-sized
 pumpkin of 1,502 by 187 pounds. Joe's historical success presented an even
 more daunting challenge, as he had not just one but four of the largest
 pumpkins ever to come out of a single pumpkin patch in history. Just how he
 was to transport these giant treasures safely from his garden patch more
 than 200 yards behind his house to safe storage, before eventual movement
 to four regional fairs and weigh-offs?
     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071018/CLTH075 )
     For the record, Jutras grew this year the four biggest pumpkins ever
 taken out of a single pumpkin patch in world history, each respectively
 weighing in at 1,689 pounds, 1,402 pounds, 1,352 pounds and 1,302 pounds.
 Breaking world records for thousand-plus pound pumpkins is truly
 phenomenal. And Jutras has never had such a grand harvesting year before,
 so besides 'big' news and a place in the Guinness Book of World Records,
 this could mean 'big' dollars as well. Record pumpkins can fetch up to
 $10,000 and the seeds alone as much as $150 each.
     While the dollars are a bonus, giant pumpkin growing is mostly about
 personal bests and the love of competition. It is not unusual for a grower
 to spend 20-30 hours a week in the patch nurturing their plants. Pumpkins
 tend to crack when they get larger, and with so much invested growers get
 little sleep in the days leading up to harvest.
     With Jutras' pumpkins having outgrown traditional tripod and winch
 methods of movement, Joe was truly stumped as to how he would transport his
 treasures without turning them to squash. So he turned to one of the
 nation's most trusted third-party logistics and transportation providers,
 Cardinal Logistics Management Corporation, (Cardinal), with offices located
 across the country.
     "When I learned about Cardinal's capabilities and reputation, it was
 clear that I did not want to take a chance on moving my prized pumpkins by
 any other means. I was hopeful that my harvest would break a record and did
 not want to chance an accident," said Jutras.
     In early September, Jutras spoke with Cardinal Logistics Management
 Regional Manager, Jason Cardoza, who offered the services of his company.
 Cardinal Logistics Management specializes in dedicated contract carriage,
 warehousing and inventory management, transportation technology solutions,
 and is a recognized industry leader of 'final mile' home and jobsite
 deliveries. Although this was unusual cargo for Cardinal Logistics, which
 typically transports and warehouses product for clients like Office Depot,
 Kraftmaid Cabinetry, 7-Eleven, Mill's Pride, Lowe's and many others, the
 logistics leader knew exactly how to properly secure and safely transfer
 Jutras' precious cargo to its intended destination.
     With much care, a Cardinal Logistics Management driver lifted the
 1,689- pound beauty and the rest of the harvest by harness, secured them on
 pallets and loaded all four giant treasures on a flatbed, ready for their
 journey to safe storage. The harnessing and loading process took three
 hours, and the result was a pretty happy champion pumpkin harvester.
     "It was a pleasure to be able to help Joe out with his challenge.
 Cardinal is a world leader in the transport of large, bulky, hard to
 handle, and valuable product," said Skip Stritzinger, Senior Vice President
 of Sales for Cardinal Logistics Management. "Helping Joe with his prized
 pumpkin was a natural. It was a thrill to witness his achievement and his
 pride as the new world record holder."
     Jutras' record-breaking pumpkin is currently on display in a glass case
 at the Topsfield Fair in Topsfield, Massachusetts. Its destination from
 there is yet to be determined. But with a partner such as Cardinal
 Logistics Management to handle moving precious cargo, Joe's passion and
 competitive spirit can now focus on how he can top his world record during
 next season's pumpkin harvest.
     About Cardinal Logistics Management Corporation:
     Headquartered in Concord, N.C., Cardinal Logistics Management
 Corporation (Cardinal) is one of the country's fastest growing dedicated
 delivery transportation solution providers. With a specialty in 'final
 mile' home and jobsite deliveries for some of the nation's leading
 retailers, Cardinal's logistics team of experts work closely with clients
 to develop and implement technology-driven transportation solutions to help
 companies optimize their supply chains. Cardinal customers include Fortune
 500 companies such as: Office Depot, Kraftmaid Cabinetry, 7-Eleven,
 AutoZone, Monarch Windows and many more. For more information about
 Cardinal, please visit our website at www.cardlog.com.
 
 

SOURCE Cardinal Logistics Management Corporation