Bennett Motor Express expands operations with Midwest hub

Planned expansion can be an essential part of a company’s growth strategy. And that’s the case for Bennett Motor Express. In fact, Bennett just expanded its operations in the Midwest with the relocation of a terminal from Rock Island to a larger facility in Carbon Cliff, Illinois.

On Oct. 28, Bennett celebrated the expansion with an Open House and Ribbon Cutting. During the event, attendees ate lunch and took tours of the newly renovated building, and Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce was on hand for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Mike Coughlin, membership manager at the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, thanked the leaders of Bennett Motor Express for their commitment to the community.

“We want to thank you for allowing us to be part of this celebration, and also for your commitment to the community in the development of this piece of land, this building , and then the potential growth your organization has,” he said. “We look forward to being a partner along that path.”

Marcia Taylor, chief executive office of Bennett International Group, said that it was last year when the leaders of Bennett Motor Express, a division of Bennett International Group, decided it was time to find a permanent home in the area, and it was a blessing when Major found the property in Carbon Cliff.

The property includes five and a half acres with a 16,600 square-foot space to house offices, a shop, and a warehouse.

“We now have a great space for all of our owner operators who are domiciled in this area,” Taylor said. “And we have a nice yard to house our trailers and our loads where we will be better able to service our customers.”

Dave Major, terminal manager at the Carbon Cliff location, said they cleaned up the property and remodeled the facility, and now phase one of the project is complete. Within the next year, there are plans to add a shop.

“We are proud of this facility and have put a lot of work into it,” he said. “I have a good staff here of good people here who have really put their heart and soul into it.”

By the end of February, they are hoping to have 25 drivers who drive out of the Carbon Cliff terminal, and by the end of summer 2016, Major said they plan to double the number of drivers to 50.

And while the facility may be a new location for Bennett Motor Express, the staff isn’t new.

“Between me and the staff, we have about 25 years’ worth of experience in the Quad Cities area and the local market,” he said. “… it makes it easy for us to become part of the community and work with the customers that are based in this area.”

Among the guests who attended the event were city leaders and stakeholders in the community. Bill Hintz, mayor of the Village of Carbon Hill, welcomed Bennett to the area.

“We are a cohesive group of communities,” he said. “…We believe Bennett is going to fit in very nicely and we look forward to a long, successful relationship. On behalf of the Village of Carbon Cliff, I’d like to say welcome to the neighborhood.”