Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions (WW Solutions) is to consolidate its facility at the US west coast port of Tacoma with that of Keen Transport, the trucking company that it acquired in December 2017.
WW Solutions said the move would give manufacturers of rolling equipment access to trucking and processing services at one location.
The consolidation has been progressing for the past two months, and all customer equipment previously stored at Keen’s off-port centre has now been moved over to the new combined site at Tacoma.
Future capital expenditure will include a new Rubb storage building and extra space for truck loading and unloading.
Keen Transport’s head of sales, Dan Higgins, said: “Collectively, we will offer a greater breadth of value-added services. Customers will appreciate many advances in our overall quality, with additional storage space, more trained technicians, an increase in the number of docks for loading and unloading and an updated inventory system.”
WW Solutions account manager Doug Peterson added that rolling equipment opportunities were increasing in the region, saying: “Roadbuilding, agriculture, forestry, and even mining are all enjoying growth in the Pacific Northwest. Naturally the services they need today are accommodated with ease, but there are undoubtedly services, which perhaps they have not even thought of yet, that we will be ready to offer, exactly as we did for the automotive industry.”
Wallenius Wilhelmsen signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the shares in Keen Transport last year from Platinum Equity for USD64 million, including 14 logistics facilities across the USA, plus a fleet of 143 trucks and 390 trailers, as HLPFI reported here.
