One of the seven executives on the cover of the 2022 Dallas 500, Tré Black stepped into the shoes of his father, Albert Black, in 2018 as the president and CEO of On-Target Supplies & Logistics. Tré’s father Albert, who founded OTSL in 1982, says he never built his company to be a family business, but the innate leadership skills he and the company’s board observed in Tré was enough to elect him the company’s new leader to push OTSL onward into the next 40 years. Since taking over, Tré has led OTSL to record employment count.
Education: Baylor University (BA-Finance)
Birthplace: Dallas
First Job: “I started a recycling business when I was 12 years old. I learned that perseverance and trust are key components of any business, no matter how small.”
Best Advice: “Start early, find your niche, and always be willing and able to reinvent yourself.”
Dinner Party: “I would love to have dinner with John Stankey, CEO of AT&T, and Ross Perot Jr., chairman of Perot Companies and Hillwood. Mr. Stankey had an incredible career with the same company and has risen to the top. He’s also become one of the most consequential CEO’s in the country. He is tasked with leading us into a new era of telecom infrastructure expansion and driving the initiative to resolve the digital divide in rural and blighted communities. It’s a great story that more young professionals should know. And for Mr. Perot Jr., you have big shoes to fill when your dad is a legendary business pioneer, like Perot Sr., Mr. Perot Jr. has significantly advanced the families business interests in a manner that I’m sure his father would appreciate. I understand how important that is and am inspired by the legacy he’s continued.”
Destinations of Choice: “Riomaggiore-Cinqe Terre in Italy and Telluride, Colorado”
Nonprofit Cause: “Senior Source is a well-run organization that provides support and resources to so many families who haven’t planned for all the dynamics of caring for seniors. The organization also does a wonderful job working with District Attorney offices to protect seniors who are too often taken advantage of.”
Gift Giving: “I would give my wife a New Year’s eve celebratory trip to Paris because she’s never been and it has been a life dream of hers.”
Hobby/Passion: “Reading and studying U.S. Presidential history”
Local Fare: “I enjoy Café Pacific’s Chilean Sea Bass, which is also my mother’s favorite.”
Fun Fact: “If I didn’t run OTSL, I’d like to own a delicatessen, called the O.C. Delicatessen, where I’d make gourmet sandwiches all day and would DJ from time to time at night.”
Dream Car: “I would love an electric modified, 1968 Cadillac Deville Convertible with an outstanding sound system. It’s an American classic and my wife would never allow me to buy one!”
Toughest Challenge: “Helping the company navigate through the 2008 economic downturn”
Second Home: “My wife and I are building a house and it will take a few more months, so our second home is technically at a high-rise in uptown. We wanted to have an uptown experience, where we could have a more walkable community, access to Klyde Warren Park, along with one of the best views of Downtown Dallas.”
Proud Moment: “We have kept calm as a team and continued to focus on the execution of our strategy throughout the pandemic.”
A Better DFW: “DFW needs better diversity in the philanthropic donor community.”
Walk-Up Songs: “‘Sensei on the Block’ by Mos Def”
Must-Read: “My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass: anything is possible in America, no matter its deep flaws and injustices. Human struggle is trans-generational and it takes real courage to be committed to addressing it, especially when you have a voice!”
Biggest Risk: “Encouraging my father to run for Mayor of Dallas”
Bucket List: “Help make a U.S. President”
Future Forecast: “OTSL will have another profitable year and a record employment count, despite the pandemic. There is an industry employment tightening, with significant wage inflation but On-Target continues to invest in greater technology and workforce development. We are ebullient about our future!”
This Q&A is extended content from Dallas 500, a special edition produced by D CEO that profiles the region’s most influential business leaders. Visit www.dallas500.com for details.
