Jun 7, 2006 10:14 AM, from staff and wire reports

Howell’s Motor Freight Inc of Roanoke VA has announced an agreement to assume the LTL freight operations of PFS Distribution Inc, formerly known as the Lovette Co.

A 50-year-old, privately owned company, Howell's provides temperature-controlled truckload, LTL, and pool distribution warehouse and trucking services. Besides Roanoke, its warehouses/terminals are in Charlotte NC, Raleigh NC, Atlanta GA, Columbia SC, Louisville KY, and Portsmouth VA. Howell’s operates 250 trucks in its fleet, of which 125 provide TL services in the Southeast and Midwest.

PFS/Lovette was operated as an LTL freight division of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp, operating out of North Wilkesboro NC. The operating area of PFS is similar to Howell’s, focusing on wholesale, retail, and grocery customers in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Integration of the two operations will be completed by the end of June 2006.