Trucking company expands operations with $2.5M investment

Evans Delivery Co., an over-the-road trucking company and broker based in Schuylkill Haven, said it would expand its operations with a $2.5 million investment.

The company plans to acquire and renovate a nearby 9,046-square-foot-office building and demolish an existing car wash to create a corporate annex and 70 parking spaces that would complement its headquarters.

Bert Evans, board chair of Evans Delivery, said the company has about 150 employees and would increase that by 65 people over the next three years.

“We like the workforce here, it’s a very loyal workforce,” Evans said.

The company’s headquarters is two blocks away from what would become a new location for more employees.

“We are planning to move our safety department to that location,” Evans said. “This would enable us to put them all in one spot.”

The company will keep the other location open that contains all the functions of the company and serves as its headquarters. The expansion will allow the company the space to grow those departments as well, he added.

The project would consolidate back office jobs currently performed out of state, nearer to the company’s 60,000-square-foot-headquarters. The company will invest at least $2,482,658 in the project.

Evans Delivery received a funding proposal from the state Department of Community & Economic Development for the project. The proposal includes a $250,000 Pennsylvania First grant; $65,000 in job creation tax credits to be distributed once the company adds the new jobs; and a $17,400 workforce development grant to help the company train workers.

The Governor’s Action Team coordinated the project.

Five local organizations also contributed to the revitalization project: the Downtown Merchants, the Island Organization, Penn State Schuylkill, the Heritage River Group, and the Walk In Art Center.

Evans said the company decided to form the Walk In Art Center as a 501c3 organization a few years ago to draw people into Schuylkill Haven to help with the redevelopment of the town. It then became a catalyst to get the other organizations involved in helping out and now, Schuylkill Haven has a vibrant downtown area as opposed to large numbers of vacant and for sale buildings, he added.

“We’ve been very lucky, very fortunate and as a result we want to give back as much as we can,” Evans said.

Evans Delivery Co. is part of The Evans Network of Companies, which includes 34 brands at more than 350 locations, and a fleet of 7,050 trucks.