Trimac Transportation acquires small bulk fleet, warehouser

Cannon Mug Headshot
AIP Logistics tank trailer
Founded in 1982 by Charles Kantner, AIP was originally known as Riverside Storage, offering basic warehousing for dry food ingredients. Today, AIP employs a staff to service over 450,000 square feet of storage space, transportation fleet, and a rail terminal that serves customers worldwide.

Trimac Transportation (CCJ Top 250, No. 64) has acquired American Industrial Partners (AIP) Logistics, a Central Ohio-based specialist in bulk terminal services, transportation and warehousing for the plastics, liquid chemical, food grade storage and metal production industries.

AIP operates a fleet of 13 tractors and 119 trailers. Its 52-acre property, located in in Wapakoneta, Ohio, just south of Lima, Ohio, is home to cold, dry and food grade warehousing, bulk transloading and storage with access to CSX Transportation rail line, and dry van, reefer, dry bulk and bulk liquid transportation. The location has indoor rail access and 70 railcar spots for rail transloading and storage.

The property is strategically positioned on the busy I-75 corridor within proximity to several major Fortune 500 shippers, including many current Trimac customers. It's also halfway between Cincinnati and the Detroit-Windsor U.S./Canada border crossing. 

"We are excited about this next step in our U.S. growth," said Matt Faure, Trimac President and CEO, adding that AIP provides a strong base to build a trucking branch with high density. "The integration with a leading logistics company such as AIP will place Trimac in an excellent position for its continued growth and contribution to business partners and communities in this region.”

Founded in 1982 by Charles Kantner, AIP was originally known as Riverside Storage, offering basic warehousing for dry food ingredients. Today, AIP employs a staff to service over 450,000 square feet of storage space, transportation fleet, and a rail terminal that serves customers worldwide.

Kantner will stay on for a transitional period immediately to provide expertise. Currently, the business is made up of approximately 38% trucking, 42% warehousing, and 20% transloading/other.

Trimac said the acquisition is part of its five-year strategy to further position itself as a leader in bulk transportation, wash and maintenance.

Trimac's is at least the fifth acquisition made this year by a CCJ Top 250 fleet. Forward Air Corporation (No. 57) in January agreed to acquire full-service expedited LTL carrier Land Air Express for $56.5 million and R.E. Garrison Trucking (No. 124) completed the acquisition of certain assets of Boaty’s Transport. In March Big G Express (No. 173) acquired RTR Transportation and Knight-Swift Transportation (No. 5) announced its acquisition of U.S. Xpress (No. 19).

Jason Cannon has written about trucking and transportation for more than a decade and serves as Chief Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. A Class A CDL holder, Jason is a graduate of the Porsche Sport Driving School, an honorary Duckmaster at The Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee, and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. Reach him at [email protected]