BUFFALO, W.Va. — Several state and local officials made their way to Buffalo in Putnam County Tuesday for the opening of a large maintenance facility.
KC Logistics is a freight management company that operates in multiple states. The company, which is the inbound carrier for Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia, has now made a $4.5 million investment to stay in the area long-term.
The new maintenance facility is just under five acres and features a concrete parking lot, a four-bay maintenance area, and a 9,500-square-foot building that will house the dispatch part of their operation.
“This is going to be full-service maintenance for the tractors and trailers,” said KC Logistics President Jon Dieckman. “From preventative maintenance work to full tractor trailer overhaul, we’re going to be able to do any and all types work out of our new facility, which is radically different than what we’ve been able to offer.”
The company’s current facility, which is about a half mile away, only has a gravel lot, one small area that can barely fir one tractor trailer, and a mobile office that has already had to be replaced since they came to Putnam County in 2020.
Dieckman says the soon-to-be retired facility does not get the job done for a company responsible for hauling all the parts and products coming into the Toyota plant.
“It’s been pretty evident and obvious to us that where we were was never going to be a suitable long-term option to actually maintain a fleet that is capable of providing for the needs of Toyota,” he said.
KC Logistics also services Toyota’s locations in Indiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. Dieckman says it’s their job to invest where they need to in order to offer good services to Toyota.
“They are a quality partner. That’s how they treat you. It truly is partnership and they’re one of the best manufacturers in the world to work for,” he said. “It was pretty much a no-brainer that we need to uphold our end of the partnership here and make sure we’re providing top quality service to them to support their needs well into the future.”
Dieckman says they’re going to need to hire between six and ten more mechanics in the near future. He said the company is always hiring drivers.