Highway Transport, a Tennessee-based company providing bulk transportation of specialty chemicals, has opened its $12.5 million flagship service center in Geismar.
The new service center builds on Highway Transport’s presence along the Gulf Coast, positioning the chemical transportation company to serve nearby chemical companies along the Mississippi River and to safely transport their products throughout the country, according to Louisiana Economic Development.
The new Geismar facility, the company’s 14th service center in the U.S, will serve as the training center for all Highway Transport employees in Louisiana and Texas. Additionally, the site includes a service center, 4.5 bays for tank washing, a six-bay mechanical shop, multiple office spaces and more.
From the site, Highway Transport staff will coordinate logistics, technology, cleaning processes and other critical operations on-site. The site can facilitate up to 150 tanker trucks at any given time from the company’s fleet of more than 400 trucks on regional and long-haul loads.
In a prepared statement, President and CFO Marshall Franklin said the new service center better-positions the company to serve clients in the state’s chemical corridor and beyond.
As the company’s training center for the Gulf Coast, professional drivers joining the company will onboard with instruction on Highway Transport’s industry-leading safety protocols. Highway Transport also operates a service center in Lake Charles.
“Highway Transport’s continued investment in the heart of the Capital Region’s petrochemical sector speaks to the strength of the industry and its importance to continued economic prosperity,” said President and CEO Adam Knapp of the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
The project is expected to create 36 new jobs over the next year. To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered the company incentive support that includes the Enterprise Zone Program tax incentives.
