I periodically create stock screens to try to identify companies meeting Ben Graham’s characteristics of suitable investments for the defensive investor as outlined in his classic, The Intelligent Investor. A recent iteration of this screen turned up Marten Transport Ltd. (MRTN) as a potential candidate.
MRTN is a trucking company based in Mondovi, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1946 by Roger R. Marten, and his son, Randolph Marten, is currently CEO and board chairmen, having worked at the company since 1974. The company started as a traditional long-haul trucker, but today provides