Averitt Express announces further expansion efforts in Texas

Cookeville, Tenn.-based freight transportation and logistics services provider Averitt Express said today it has taken steps to expand its Amarillo, Texas-based operations, in opening up 25,000 square-feet of distribution and fulfillment space.

Company officials said that this facility will be used to provide its shipper customers with access to inventory and freight staging space, with a focus on helping to streamline delivery and distribution efforts throughout the Texas Panhandle region.

“We are excited to offer businesses and shippers that serve the Panhandle new solutions that will enable them to improve their supply chain operations and speed-to-market,” said Wayne Spain, Averitt’s president and chief operating officer, in a statement. “We have operated in Amarillo and throughout the region for many years, and we look forward to continuing to grow our presence and ability to serve the communities in the area.” 

Spain added that the demand for near-proximity warehousing has grown in parallel with the surge in e-commerce growth over the years.

“At the same time, numerous supply chain disruptions, including the pandemic and challenges with port congestion, have contributed to a growing desire by many shippers to safeguard inventory needs across key markets,” he said. “The demands of consumers are changing, and as a result, the needs of shippers are changing. We’re adapting and growing to meet the needs of both.” 

Earlier this year, Averitt opened up a new 400,000 square-feet Dallas area-based distribution and fulfillment center for handling the flow and distribution of domestic and international freight and cargo in close proximity to its Grand Prairie, Texas service center.

Averitt officials said that this new facility is within short proximity of Dallas/Fort Worth International and Dallas Love Field airports, as well as the BNSF Railway and Union pacific Railroad intermodal depots. They added that the new location will be equipped to handle the growing international shipping needs in the region.

An Averitt spokesman told LM, at the time, with population well beyond seven million, the DFW metroplex is one of the busiest freight markets in the country, and he added that the primary driving factors that led Averitt to expand in the area are a combination of increasing customer demand and the tremendous growth that is being seen in the e-commerce world.

“Shippers are looking to stage inventory for quicker and more reliable delivery, and our new location provides our customers access to one of the most valuable markets,” he said. “Discussions about opening a new location in the DFW metroplex have been ongoing since we officially launched Averitt Distribution and Fulfillment in 2019. 

Averitt Express has had Texas-based operations for more than 25 years, and, along with the Dallas-area facility, it has also opened up new locations in Grand Prairie, Houston, and Laredo.