As Grammer Logistics, formerly Grammer Industries, set their course for 2019, the primary mandate was clear – rapid, sustainable growth. Stellex Capital Management in partnership with Great Mill Rock LLC, the Whittington family and management, the Company’s ownership since October 2018, was instrumental in the development of this strategy. The Company’s new ownership had the resources to remove typical obstacles to growth.
One of the first opportunities for significant growth came quickly. Sterling Transport, a North Carolina-based natural gas liquids and dry bulk transportation and logistics company, offered Grammer the prospect of expanding their customer base and geographic footprint, as well as diversification of services. The transaction was completed on April 1, 2019 and the team at Sterling worked side by side with the Grammer team, taking advantage of obvious synergies and using a “best practices” methodology to update procedures and policies across the entire entity. Complete integration was planned for January 2020.
On December 6, 2019 Grammer acquired LiMarco Transportation, a former competitor in the NGL market in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The acquisition of LiMarco included a terminal in Corpus Christi, TX. The location enabled Grammer to establish a bricks and mortar presence in Texas and the opportunity to further expand the Company’s presence and reach into key NGL markets.
By the end of the year, Grammer had essentially doubled the size of its fleet, the total number of locations, and established three divisions to encompass the full range of services the Company could now provide. Management added a new level of Operations leadership to create a more robust structure for future growth. James Winton was engaged in January 2020 as the firm’s first Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Winton brought extensive experience in Transportation and Logistics, most recently as Vice President of Operations, Southeast for Trimac Transportation. Prior to his tenure with Trimac, James held positions at Dupré Logistics and McKenzie Tank lines, culminating in over 20 years of tank transportation experience.
With the momentum of acquisitions and expansion in 2019, the Company launched a rebranding initiative to integrate the different components of the larger, more diverse entity. The project began late summer and continued into 2020. The first step in the rebranding process was the selection of an updated name. After much discussion and careful consideration, Grammer Logistics was chosen as the new name for the larger, integrated company. Grammer Logistics honors the Company’s history while facilitating a reintroduction to the marketplace and positioning the Company for future growth.
In addition to the updated Company name, the rebranding project resulted in a new logo, equipment branding, rebranded collateral materials and business cards, a single, integrated, rebranded website as well as an expanded social media presence. Rebranding efforts filtered through to the online driver recruiting platform and online training platforms and continues as all location signage is replaced with the new name and logo.
While the look of Grammer was changing, so did the way the Company conducted day to day business activities. Processes, procedures, and policies were all unified under the banner of Grammer Logistics. The structure of the integrated Company was expanded by identifying new areas of responsibility and accountability. Management leveraged the team’s deep well of experience and addressed operational challenges head on.
Grammer Leadership would readily acknowledge integration has not been easy. The process, however, demonstrated Grammer Logistics has the skills, knowledge, and adaptability to successfully work through all aspects of future growth initiatives. That very same expertise will also support Grammer as it navigates the impacts of recent dramatic and distressing contractions in world markets. In response to recent events, Grammer Logistics’ unwavering focus is its employees and customers. That includes looking to the future and the opportunities ahead for the leader in Specialized Bulk Tank Transportation.