Representatives of the NJEDA and ConnectOne Bank joined Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi at the newly-expanded headquarters of Shawnee Trucking.

CLIFTON, NJ—Officials with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority took advantage of a visit to the recently expanded operations of locally-based Shawnee Trucking Co. here to highlight the economic benefits of the transportation/logistics sector to the Garden State's economy.

NJEDA managing director of business development Paul Ceppi said at the event staged on Jan. 17 that the transportation-logistics sector accounts for nearly 200,000 private sector jobs and $23 billion into the economy.

Late in 2019, Shawnee Trucking Co. utilized 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 at 50 Somerset Place includes a 121,000-square-foot warehouse, 4,000 square feet of office space and a two-acre parking lot. Financing from an $11.52 million ConnectOne Bank loan, including a $2- million NJEDA participation supported the purchase.

"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."

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.

Lall founded Shawnee Trucking in 1992, at the age of 21. Today, 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, PA.

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NJEDA Touts State's Transportation, Logistics Sector

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