Alvan Motor Freight shuts down

After 67 years in business, Kalamazoo, MI-based Alvan Motor Freight has shut down, the company announced on its web site this weekend.

A family-owned LTL carrier, Alvan will file Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the release said. President & CEO James Van Zoeren called it “the worst day of my business career. Alvan has had an incredible run but unfortunately all great things come to an end. Given the extremely competitive nature of our business, we wouldn’t be here today had it not been for the fantastic effort of each and every Alvan employee. However, a number of problems outside of our control have overwhelmed us to the point where we were left without a choice.”

Among the problems the company cited was ongoing economic problems in the Midwest, particularly in the automotive industry, diesel prices and the 87-day strike at American Axle, one of the company’s top customers.

Freight remaining in the company’s system will be delivered by Central Transport.

Alvan Motor Freight was founded in 1941 by the Van Zoeren family and currently employs about 525 people with terminals in in Kalamazoo, MI, Romulus, MI, Grand Rapids, MI, Saginaw MI, Jackson, MI, Mesick, MI, Alpena, MI, Cincinnati, OH, Richfield, OH, Columbus, OH, Perrysburg, OH, Fort Wayne, IN, Indianapolis, IN, South Bend, IN, and Chicago, IN.

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