COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (June 22, 2006) – Tennessee Farmers Co-op, one of the state’s largest suppliers of agricultural products, has signed a contract with Averitt Express to provide dedicated freight transportation.

Under terms of the contract, Averitt will distribute freight between Tennessee Farmers Co-op suppliers, distribution centers and 138 county co-op retail stores. Averitt will also employ on-site personnel to coordinate transportation at Tennessee Farmers Co-op's main distribution center in LaVergne, Tenn.

Tennessee Farmer’s Co-op was previously operating its own private transportation fleet. According to Gary Lowe, logistics manager for Tennessee Farmers Co-op, the seasonality of its freight shipments was a deciding factor for the company to outsource.

"It was difficult to have enough transportation resources during peak times. During the slowest times we had too many resources and were looking for a way to use them," he said.

"We chose Averitt because of their large pool of resources from which to draw during peak season times and their flexibility and efficiency in using fleet resources during off-peak times."

Previous experience with Averitt’s less-than-truckload services and Averitt’s reputation for managing dedicated fleets also aided in Tennessee Farmers Co-op’s decision.

"Our relationship with the Averitt management team and other associates has been excellent," added Lowe.

 

About Tennessee Farmer's Co-op

Incorporated in 1945, Tennessee Farmers Co-op (TFC) is recognized as one of the strongest federated cooperative systems in the nation. The company has 150 retail outlets, which operate in 85 of Tennessee's 95 counties, and serve more than half a million customers across the state. The TFC headquarters was originally established in Columbia, Tenn., but later moved to Nashville. Today, it is located in LaVergne.

About Averitt Express

Established in 1971, Averitt Express is a leading provider of freight transportation and supply chain management with international reach to more than 100 countries. The company specializes in delivering customized solutions with a single source of accountability for service offerings that include less-than-truckload, truckload, time-critical, importing/exporting and supply chain management. Backed by successful execution for hundreds of customers, Averitt’s supply chain management capabilities include dedicated fleet operations, warehousing services and transportation management.