Despite chaotic freight markets and an unpredictable economy this year due to Covid-19, Shaker Logistics took its next major step toward growth and completed its relocation to a new, larger headquarters and warehouse facility in Waterford. Complementing this $6 million investment is the launch of a new name and brand. “Shaker Logistics” will replace “The Shaker Group” and incorporate “Shaker Transport” into a single, customer-facing brand identity.
The new headquarters, at 154 Hudson River Road, has 14,000 sq. ft. of office space and a 51,000 sq. ft. warehouse with seven docks. The investment was a complete rehabilitation of an abandoned building, including a 3,500 sq. ft. addition. The facility is more than twice the size of the company’s previous headquarters on Albany Shaker Road near the airport. Shaker Logistics employees began working at the new building in late August.
“Our new building and new name really set the stage for where we want to take the company in the coming years,” said Jason Smith, president and CEO. “We have aggressive plans to grow as a full-service third-party logistics provider, and now we have the space to build our teams and enhance our service offerings,” Smith added.
In conjunction with the move to the new facility, the company also underwent a major rebranding to unify its logistics services arm, The Shaker Group, with its company-owned fleet, Shaker Transport. The new brand, Shaker Logistics, was developed by Trampoline Design in Glens Falls. The first tractors and trailers with the new Shaker Logistics logo and brand were put into service this week, and the company launched a new website at ShipWithShaker.com.
“Developing a new brand gave us the chance to start fresh when we relocated,” said Zach Pappas, owner and chief operating officer. “We realized there was a lot of confusion in the marketplace about what we offer. Uniting our companies under one brand will make it much more clear that we are a full-service logistics provider and can combine the resources of our own fleet and warehouse with our logistics service division,” he said.
Shaker Logistics’ new headquarters allows room for rapid growth. Interest in its warehouse services has been robust, and the company is already determining how it can reconfigure space to accommodate more inventory. The freight brokerage division quickly rebounded after the initial shipping slowdown earlier in the year due to the coronavirus, and is on track to grow this year by 15%. The company is looking to hire more drivers for its trucking fleet. Local customers include Momentive, Plug Power, AngioDynamics, Regeneron, and Global Foundries.
“We are ending the year in a very strong position and ready to hire and grow our team,” said Smith. “Certainly, 2020 is not the year any of us predicted, but it’s proven that we’re a steady and inventive company that can adjust when needed.”