image of ONroute CEO Melanie Teed-Murch

CEO's Corner: Fall 2021

October 1, 2021

As the leaves start to don beautifully painted hues of gold, orange and red, the fall season is now upon us. The kids have been back in school for almost a month, and many families have started spending some quality time together once again.  As you head out on the road to enjoy all of the adventures that fall has to offer, know that ONroute is here to support you on your memory-making journey.

With a renewed, customer-obsessed approach, ONroute C​hief E​xecutive O​fficer, Melanie Teed-Murch, ​rallies her team focused on an 'every customer, every time' service experience mantra. We sat down with Melanie to understand her role with ONroute, and her customer-first vision and goals for the future at ONroute.

 

Q: How long have you been working with ONroute?

​I am closing in on my two-year anniversary with ONroute this October!

 

Q: What is your main focus for ONroute?

​Our mission at ONroute is to strive to be more than just your next highway stop.  We are here to anticipate, meet, and most importantly, EXCEED the needs of Ontario's travellers.  My focus has been to build a customer-obsessed team who are plugged into what our customers expect from us - and deliver it!

 

Q: What have you learned in your role as CEO at ONroute?

​What I learned very quickly after joining ONroute is that we have an incredibly dedicated, focused, and committed team across Ontario.  They make connections every day and oftentimes know a regular traveler's order and generally, by name!

 

Q: What do you think your customer expects from ONroute to stand apart from other rest stops?

​Our customers resoundingly expect clean bathrooms, plenty of food choices for all travelers in the car, and a place to recharge before getting back on their journey. 

 

Q: What is your favorite place to travel to in Ontario?

​That is such a tough question to answer - we are so blessed to live in a Province with so many incredible options to explore.  This summer, my family and I traveled to the Prince Edward County area, stopping in Port Hope, Trenton, and Napanee ONroutes of course!!  We often travel north to our hometown in the Beaver Valley area as well as the Niagara-on-the-Lake region for tours in the fall.  

 

Q: What are some of your road trip essentials?

My road trip essentials depend on the time of year, and change seasonally if I am honest!  Right now, I would say they include a hot Pumpkin Spice non-fat latte, apple fritter, red licorice, swedish berries, energy bites, trail mix, and hand sanitizer! 

 

As we head into the season of Thanksgiving, I want to send our thanks to all Ontarians who choose ONroute on their journey. Happy Thanksgiving.

-Melanie Teed-Murch