CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Network Transport, ranked 619 on Inc. magazine’s 2021 list, recently completed its move to a new, larger headquarters to accommodate a strategic plan to hire an additional 100 employees in the next 12 months. The 3PL’s previous headquarters had 4,400 square feet of office space. The new building spans 14,000 square feet, allowing room for future growth.
Network Transport was founded in 2016 by trucking industry veterans David Ferguson and Ben Gordon, who have extensive experience with freight brokerage companies including U.S. Xpress, Lipsey Logistics and Riverside Transportation. From 2016-2019, the company generated more than $40 million in revenue, putting its three-year growth at 777%, according to Inc.
In July 2020 the company became part of SOAR Transportation Group in a merger put together by private equity veteran Marc Kramer. After the merger, the combined operation has SOAR running 425 reefer tractors from offices in Salt Lake City and Dallas while Network Transport manages the three brokerage branches headquartered in Chattanooga with satellite offices in Salt Lake City and Dallas.
Asked about the new growth, Network Transport President David Ferguson told The Chattanoogan, “As much as we liked our office on Cherry Street and enjoyed being part of downtown Chattanooga, we knew the day was fast-approaching that we would grow beyond the space in the Loveman’s building. In looking at what could best fit our needs as we proactively plan for what’s on the horizon for Network Transport, our new location offers our company and our employees a number of advantages.”
Ferguson added: “… [O]ur new offices are state of the art with a layout and an existing infrastructure that provides everything that our company and our employees need from a facilities standpoint to be successful in what we do.
Part of the company’s growth strategy involves its training program, with a greater focus on extensive employee development with practical coaching, compared to brokerage models that churn through lightly trained entry-level employees who serve as assistants before attempting to secure their own accounts.
The company believes that the path forward lies in the quality of training and development for its workers. Bob Poulos, chief commercial officer for Network Transport, told The Chattanoogan: “Not only are we growing as a company, but Network Transport is committed to bringing what we are calling life-changing logistics jobs to the Chattanooga region. The jobs we are adding to this market will be offering an industry-leading pay structure with essentially an unlimited earnings potential, and every position we’re adding is supported by an innovative, industry-best training program that is designed to comfortably welcome people with no logistics experience into a fast-growing industry.”
The Chattanooga metro area remains a hotbed of logistics talent, with two major trucking companies and dozens of smaller brokerages taking advantage of the pool of high-quality labor. With pandemic and geopolitical-related disruptions, there will continue to be a demand for experienced 3PLs to locate often difficult-to-find trucking capacity.
