Olathe, KS-based TransAm Trucking today announced it will acquire James Helwig & Son, Inc., a refrigerated carrier based in Rockwall, TX, in a deal expected to close on Feb. 28. TransAm said the acquisition will expand its resources as a leading refrigerated long-haul trucking company serving the Midwest and East Coast by adding lane capacity and additional tractors and trailers.
The combined company will operate in the 40 states between the Eastern Seaboard and the Rocky Mountains. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"TransAm Trucking continues to expand," said John Jacobson, Jr., president. "This acquisition gives us added capacity and the ability to accelerate our growth to meet the ever-increasing needs of our customers. Helwig is a great fit for TransAm because it serves the same geographic region and allows us to immediately increase our service to the combined customer base by accommodating the 10 to 15% growth we¹re seeing in shipments."
TransAm plans to keep the Rockwall facility open and will retain James Helwig to lead that operation. "In 20 years, we¹ve built James Helwig & Son into a premier refrigerated carrier and I’m proud of the company's success," said Helwig. "As a family-owned business, our priority has always been on preserving the interests of our customers and employees. Our integration with TransAm ensures this personal focus will continue."
Helwig has more than 290 employees and nearly 250 tractors based at the Texas facility. TransAm Trucking now has more than 1,400 employees, 1,200 tractors and 2,400 refrigerated trailers. The headquarters in Olathe includes a state-of-the-art maintenance facility, as well as a driver dispatch and training operation. TransAm also has an operation in Rocky Mountain, NC.
