DeDe McGraw-Maxey is an entrepreneur’s entrepreneur.
She and her husband, Mitchell Maxey, are the founders of Maxey McGraw Industries (MMI), a logistics company based in Texas that specializes in transportation services, staffing and administration. The company is also launching an online learning platform where people can sign up for courses and learn how to build dispatch or carrier businesses of their own.
Growing MMI into what it is today was no easy feat. After Mitchell got his Class A commercial driver’s license in 2012, he began his career as an owner-operator. Three years later, DeDe left corporate America and joined Mitchell, bringing several years of HR and administrative experience along with her. Together, the two began building their business while DeDe moonlighted as a customer service rep for Nike, and they haven’t looked back since.
“This was our dream,” DeDe says. “We sold everything we owned and lived in an 18-wheeler for eight months so that we could save money and turn our idea into reality.”
When they were just starting out, DeDe was on her computer building the business on paper, making sure the website was up and running, and creating relationships while her husband was delivering loads.
Fast-forward to today, and MMI has blossomed into a dedicated carrier with operations in 48 states. The company, which prides itself on delivering exceptional customer service and timely deliveries, now works with the U.S. federal government via the General Services Administration (GSA) and recently signed a substantial contract with Amazon.
Paying a nationwide network of contractors quickly
Outside of DeDe and Mitchell, MMI doesn’t have any employees. Instead, they work with hundreds of 1099 professionals and owner-operators who have small businesses of their own. As the husband-and-wife duo began scaling their company, DeDe knew she needed to find a way to make sure MMI would be able to pay the people they relied on as quickly as possible; she knew how hard it was to wait to get paid from personal experience.
“As a single mom back in the day, I needed to be able to get paid daily,” DeDe continues. “I couldn’t figure it out for the life of me, and that’s because same-day payment options didn’t exist back then. There I was, working three different jobs with three different pay dates. It wasn’t easy.”
As she began building MMI, DeDe wondered how she was going to be able to pay all of the company’s contractors and business partners within a day or two. “I didn’t want them to have to wait a week,” she says.
Seeking a better way forward, DeDe toyed with the idea of building a faster payment app and integrating it into their operations. “That was much harder than I thought it would be,” DeDe says with a laugh.
After researching additional options, DeDe ultimately came across Everee’s workforce payments solution. With Everee, MMI can pay contractors and business partners as fast as the same day. This was much-needed functionality for MMI, and DeDe was sold right away.
“To me, it’s just so important for drivers to be able to get their pay right after they deliver a load,” DeDe explains.
Scaling the business with confidence thanks to faster pay
For MMI, Everee quickly proved to be a wise choice.
“I couldn’t determine how I was going to piece this business together until Everee came into my life,” DeDe says. Now, DeDe is confident that she and her husband can scale their operations while ensuring folks are paid promptly for their hard work. “Everee is such a big part of my business today,” she says.
Happier contractors
In today’s hyper-competitive labor market, it’s not always easy for companies to find the talent they need to fulfill their mission. With Everee, MMI has another arrow in their proverbial quiver they can use to attract new workers.
“I don’t think there’s a business my size that can say you can make money every day and you can get paid every day,” DeDe says. “It’s the cherry on top for us. I just tell them, ‘You get paid every day by Everee,’ and they’re delighted.”
In the event MMI is waiting on payment from vendors and doesn’t have enough cash on hand to pay workers, DeDe turns to Everee Credit, a flexible credit line. This allows her to ensure all her workers are still able to be paid quickly, regardless of MMI’s immediate cash situation.
More money for workers
Many of the contractors that MMI works with had been using factoring services to overcome their own cash flow gaps. “I think factoring is running anywhere from 7 to 10 percent right now,” DeDe says.
Everee’s same-day payment capability enables these operators to sidestep expensive factoring companies more often, which lets them keep more of their hard-earned money — a necessity in today’s uncertain economic climate.
A solution that keeps pace
The trucking industry is incredibly hard and very expensive. In the past, MMI had worked with factoring companies to bridge cash gaps. But in addition to being an expensive solution, factoring companies also took longer to pay than MMI would have liked.
With Everee’s same-day pay, MMI has found a solution that can keep pace with their speed.
“When I realized I saved a full day with Everee, that was gold,” DeDe says. “Everee moves how we move.”
A more connected team
Teams that have strong bonds are more productive and effective. Thanks to Everee’s game-changing impact on their operations, MMI has a new inside joke that brings everyone closer together. When someone has an urgent request, Everee is used as a verb.
“We’re like, ‘Can you Everee that for me, please?’” DeDe concludes with a laugh.
