Newport man given small-business award

Rob Ukropina of Newport Beach credits his success not only to his loyal clientele and his inherited entrepreneurial spirit, but also to his employees, who help run the day-to-day operation.

Ukropina, who owns Irvine-based Overnite Express, last week was named as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s California 2007 small-business person of the year.

He started the package delivery service 15 years ago as an answer to a problem he saw in the industry.

“I knew that business didn’t stop at 5 o’clock when the UPS, FedEx and DHLs stop pick-up,” Ukropina said.

Working in the financial printing business previously, there were times he and others he knew would’ve benefited from a later drop-off deadline.

His company allows people to drop off packages at one of 1,200 drop boxes in the state as late as 9 p.m.

The business picks up “8,000 packages a night and then most of those are sent out ground — we use five private aircraft between Oakland and Burbank and then they fly to Reno, Vegas and Phoenix, and it all happens in about 12 hours,” Ukropina said.

Business clients have drop boxes at their offices, and one of Ukropina’s 250 employees pick those up daily.

“Rob Ukropina’s uncompromising commitment to serve both his internal and external customers coupled with his leadership and visionary qualities have led him to become a true American small-business success story,” Southland Economic Development Corp. senior loan officer Robert Dodge said in a news release. Dodge nominated Ukropina for the award.

The secret to Ukropina’s continued success is in the people who work for him, Ukropina said. His drivers are paid a percentage of the business’ gross income rather than an hourly wage, which he said provides them with an incentive to provide good service. It also means the drivers make more for the company’s early service, Ukropina said. The sales people make a lifelong commission on a certain client they bring in, which means they work harder to keep the client.

“We have less than 4% turnover of 250 people in 15 years,” Ukropina said. “That statistic is impossible in business — it’s not in textbooks. And because of that I think is why … the SBA selected me, selected us, as the SBA small-business person of the year.”

Ukropina was presented with the award May 17 at the Ontario Convention Center. He also represented California in Washington, D.C., at a Small Business Administration event.