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Shawnee Trucking Company Expands Clifton, New Jersey Operations

01/21/2020
Shawnee Trucking Company expanded its transportation and logistics hub in Clifton, New Jersey.

According to New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Shawnee Trucking operates as a “one-stop,” full-service transportation and logistics company that provides trucking and delivery services between Virginia and Maine. It also serves the remainder of the country through broker contracts and contractors.

Shawnee Trucking Company used funding from the NJEDA’s Premier Lender Program to purchase a six-acre property in Clifton that will serve as its national headquarters. The property includes a 121,000-square-foot warehouse, 4,000 square feet of office space, and a two-acre parking lot. Financing from an $11,520,000 ConnectOne Bank loan, including a $2,000,000 NJEDA participation, supported the purchase.

The company employs more than 125 people in New Jersey and plans to hire additional workers in the next two years. The minority-owned business has a fleet of 180 trucks and trailers and more than 450 customers. In addition to the New Jersey location, Shawnee also has a facility in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

“We chose to base our operations in the Garden State because of its strategic location at the center of the Northeast Corridor, its proximity and easy access to ports throughout the region, its first-rate infrastructure and its dynamic workforce within the state,” Shawnee Trucking Founder Balram “Chris” Lall said. “We’re grateful that NJEDA and ConnectOne Bank support has enabled us to grow our business and expand our customer base.”

“The transportation and logistics sector is a major contributor to our economy, accounting for close to 200,000 private sector jobs and $23 billion into the economy,” NJEDA Managing Director of Business Development Paul Ceppi said. “Under Governor Phil Murphy’s leadership, we’re working with our partners in the industry to establish New Jersey as the nation’s pre-eminent transport technology hub. Small businesses up and down the supply chain play a pivotal role in making that happen.”

Mayor Anzaldi echoed Lall’s sentiments about New Jersey being the perfect place to grow a transportation and logistics business. “Clifton sits at the crossroads of the Garden State Parkway and Rt. 3, just a short drive from the Lincoln Tunnel and the Port of Newark," Mayor Anzaldi said. “Our centralized spot makes us ideal for transportation and logistics companies such as Shawnee Trucking and we encourage other businesses in this vital sector to come see all that we have to offer.”

Through the Premier Lender Program, the NJEDA works with more than two dozen banks throughout New Jersey to guarantee or participate in a portion of commercial loans or lines of credit. Businesses can use this financing for fixed assets or term working capital, and NJEDA’s involvement in the transaction provides lenders with greater flexibility by reducing their overall exposure.

“Since becoming an NJEDA Premier Lender nearly two years ago, we’ve had the opportunity to further our people-first mission by partnering with small businesses in our local communities.,” ConnectOne Bank Managing Director Robert Murphy said. “We are excited to have supported Shawnee Trucking’s growth and look forward to working with Chris and his team as they continue to expand.”

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