A RIBBON-CUTTING ceremony June 13 formally inaugurated Groendyke Transport's new terminal that serves the Houston, Texas, market. Located at 8300 Sheldon Rd in Channelview, the facility replaces an adjacent smaller structure that had been in use for more than 45 years.
“Our hope is that this new terminal meets our needs and our customers' needs for another 25 years,” said John Groendyke, chairman of Groendyke Transport Inc. “It took a little more than a year to complete this project, because we believe in building a first-class facility that provides our employees an outstanding workplace and protects the environment.
“We believe the new terminal will give us a greater opportunity to expand our Houston-area operations. We are very excited about the growth potential for our chemical and petroleum operations in this market.”
Sylvia Garcia, Harris County (Texas) Precinct 2 commissioner, praised the tank truck carrier for the significant investment it has made in Channelview. “We want Groendyke to stay, stay, stay,” she said. “We're excited that the company could add up to 250 good jobs in this area as this new terminal grows.”
The new facility occupies approximately 10 acres, nine of which are paved. Offices, a drivers' room, maintenance shop, fuel island, and tank wash rack are all housed in a 39,000-sq-ft building. The facility is fenced and lighted and has surveillance cameras throughout.
The two-bay fuel island has an aboveground storage tank for diesel. Air and water are easily accessible through hoses on reels at the fuel dispensers. The four-bay maintenance shop is equipped for a full range of vehicle service, including tank trailer visual inspections.
The four-bay chemical wash rack can clean four tanks at a time. The vat-style wash system was designed in-house with the latest cleaning technologies.
Driver facilities include a classroom and a waiting lounge complete with kitchen, vending machines, and wall-mounted flat-screen television. Mechanics and wash rack workers have a break room with a kitchen and vending machines. Men's and women's restrooms have showers.