Riches in niches
Dec 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By David A Kolman
Under CE's leadership, employing the same success formula he learned working for his father-in-law, Howell's Motor Freight grew and broadened into candy and confectionary deliveries. As that industry went through a consolidation, the company expanded into more dedicated and regional operations and then added a truckload division.
Harry Norris was named company president in 1990 when his father became chairman. CE died in 1992.
Future challenges
What does the future hold for Howell's Motor Freight? “There are opportunities in dedicated operations and temperature-controlled transportation,” says Harry Norris. “We've become a member of the Network Distribution Solutions (NDS), an organization of regional carriers networked together to provide a cost efficient single-source for multi-temperature logistics solutions.
“We're working with NDS on distribution of freight out of the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South, and across the entire country.”
Adds Sanford: “The biggest challenge, long-term, for companies our size is two-fold: finding good people, and developing people who will step into the shoes of the experienced people who are retiring. The trick is figuring out how to pass on that degree of industry knowledge.”
Norris looks forward to continued growth through hard work, dedication, and good people. We're in a niche market that's gone through a lot of transitions. We always endeavor to be flexible enough to capitalize on new market opportunities.”
Howell's Motor Freight at a glance
Location: Cloverdale (Roanoke), VA — headquarters; Portsmouth, VA; Raleigh, NC; Charlotte, NC; Columbia, SC; Atlanta, GA.
Fleet: 257 tractors, 593 temperature-controlled trailers, 57 dry van trailers, 36 owner-operator tractors
Drivers: 250
Truckload deliveries per week: Approximately 400
LTL deliveries per week: Approximately 2,500
Annual miles: 17 million in 2006
