Tradesman Trucking inaugurates Gretna and is already looking to expand | Local business news

On Saturday, Pittsylvania County business leaders and dignitaries celebrated the grand opening of the 22,500 square foot Tradesman Trucking building which is expected to bring $4.5 million in investment and create 30 new jobs at the park. of Gretna as the first industrial tenant.

And because there is demand for warehousing space and other processing services, the company is in talks to purchase land nearby for another 25,000 square foot facility.

Tradesman Trucking was founded in 2012 as a shuttle transportation company that helped Yankee Candle move products and goods between facilities in Blairs and Forest, according to a press release. Since then, the business has grown to include freight services for major snack food retailers, print media and housewares retailers.

“I am absolutely thrilled that Tradesman Trucking is investing to make Gretna their corporate headquarters, creating many great jobs,” Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors Chairman Vic Ingram said at Saturday’s ceremony. . “Company leaders are rightfully excited to join the community, improve the area, and make the town of Gretna and the entire county a better place.”

The two-phase project — with the purchase of additional land — will represent a total investment of $6.5 million. Earthworks are scheduled to begin in September and construction of the building to begin in early spring. The facility is expected to be operational by August 2023.

“Our main goal in this relocation to Gretna is to come in as a member, serve as a neighbor and work together to build and grow this community that we already love so much,” said James Garner, managing partner of Tradesman Trucking. Saturday. “When you choose a location for your business, you are also choosing a community, and as such, we believe the community we find ourselves in should both be supported by us and support us.”

Garner thinks the people of Gretna will be “great neighbours”

Tradesman has also added local freight focusing on the cardboard and plastic recycling markets. With this growing need, the employee-owned company branched out into Tradesman XDR, with concentrations in processing wood for biomass, crushing concrete and asphalt as replacements for aggregate, and scrap tires. as alternatives to aggregate in certain civil and sanitary applications, according to the press release.

As for Gretna’s new facility, it will serve Tradesman Trucking’s needs as a traditional terminal and transshipment facility while also being a recycling yard operation for Tradesman XDR. The office space will be the new headquarters for both companies.

Although the company uses the state’s Enterprise Zone program, it does not receive local discretionary incentives, according to the county.

“I am very pleased that an innovative and growing company like Tradesman Trucking has chosen to establish an operation right here in Pittsylvania County,” said Darrell Dalton, Callands-Gretna Supervisor. “It’s always exciting when businesses decide Pittsylvania County is a place they want to invest, put down roots, and create jobs.”

Gretna Mayor Keith Motley said he was delighted Tradesman was moving in as the industrial park’s first tenant.

“We look forward to them joining our business community and hopefully this is the start of further development,” Motley said.