Brown Trucking Buys Schrader, Expands in Southeast

Short-haul and dedicated trucking operator James Brown Trucking purchased Tennessee-based Schrader Trucking, expanding its capacity and reach.

Lithonia, Ga.-based Brown will add Schrader's 95 tractors and 201 trailers to its own fleet of more than 600 trucks and 3,000 trailers, the company said.

Schrader Trucking, founded in 1960, operates across the Southeast as well as in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Texas and Canada. It is based in Jefferson City, Tenn.

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"Schrader's service area supplements Brown's geographic footprint, and the additional resources will strengthen and enhance the company as we build the leading provider in the Southeast," said John Richardson, board director of Brown Trucking and managing partner of parent company Navigation Capital Partners.

Former owner Phil Schrader will leave the business, while co-owner and Vice President Tom Hodge will remain as director of business development.

"Combining forces enables us to diversify our service offerings and increase our market density," said Brian Kinsey, CEO of Brown Trucking.

Brown, founded in 1965, says it focuses on "the middle of the supply chain," providing time-sensitive regional truckload and dedicated carriage.

The trucker specializes in the paper and packaging business, running private fleets for companies such as Weyerhaeuser, as well as other industries.

Founder James W. Brown sold the company to Navigation Capital Partners, an Atlanta-based private equity firm, in 2008.

-- Contact William B. Cassidy at wcassidy@joc.com.