Paper Transport’s Story of Growth

April 21, 2023

As Lennie Shefchik created a new password on his company computer, he stopped to think of what kind of company he and co-founder Roger Grimsley wanted to create. He made a password that would brand the new company and foster a culture that we live by today. Starting with only 3 trucks, Lennie could not have imagined how far he and Roger’s small business would come.

GP2WPT
(Great Place To Work Paper Transport)
LEnnie’s Password

1990 Paper Transport was founded by Lennie Shefchik and Roger Grimsley. Shefchik and Grimsley, along with their wives Joan and Amy, turned an idea into a reality. On February 5, 1990, “Paper Transport, Inc.” officially pulled its first load out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. And there began an innovative, family-oriented company that would make its way in the transportation industry. By October of 1990, Paper Transport had 6 International Day cabs and 12 Great Dane Trailers.

1991 – 1997 Paper Transport would build its reputation and goal to “put the customer first,” and everyone would follow that motto; even Lennie and Rodger would run loads if a driver needed time off or a customer was in need. This helped build confidence in not only their customers but also their drivers. Paper Transport went on to be awarded Fort Howard Corporation’s “Carrier of the Year” in 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1996.

2001 – 2005 Craig Dickman began the year 2001 by becoming the second President & CEO of Paper Transport. By the end of 2001, Paper Transport became a fleet of 100 trucks. Exploring new territory, the company opened Regional Dedicated centers in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2003, a Satellite Operation facility in Mesquite, Texas in 2004, and a Regional Operations center in Elwood, Illinois in 2005. Paper Transport went on to win Georgia Pacific’s “Carrier of the Year” awards in 2004 and 2005.

2006 – 2010 Jeff Shefchik was named Paper Transport’s third president in 2006, the same year the company surpassed 200 power units and 800 trailers. In 2010, the company celebrated 20 years of innovation and progress by purchasing its first Compressed Natural Gas Truck and opening a Regional Operations Center outside Cedar Springs, Georgia. With this progress, Paper Transport was set up for headway in the transportation industry.

2011 – 2014 In 2011, Paper Transport rang in the year by surpassing 300 power units and 1025 trailers in size. The company would see growth in natural gas miles. As they exceeded 5 million miles worth of natural gas in 2013 and by receiving Kenworth’s first full-production natural gas T680 trucks, Paper Transport would adopt fuel-saving technologies that would increase efficiency in their company.

2016 – 2019 These next years were full of crowning achievements for the company. In 2016, Paper Transport would be awarded 2 Georgia-Pacific awards: “Carrier of the Year” and “Driver of the Year” awarded to Paper Transport Company Driver Darrell McFarland. In 2018, Paper Transport received the Green Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Growth Award. Also in 2018, Ross Christensen earned KBX’s Driver of the Year Award. As Paper Transport rolled into 2019, they would hit their 1,000-employee mark. That same year, Paper Transport was awarded Proctor and Gamble’s “Intermodal Carrier of the Year” and “Driver of the Year” was awarded Company Driver Daniel Campbell.

2020 – 2022 As the pandemic stopped the world, Paper Transport kept moving. The company pledged half of April’s 2020 profits to charities in communities with Paper Transport locations to help people affected by COVID-19. During this time, the company began its “Accelerate Training Program” that would help train new Class-A CDL holders who were looking to come aboard the company. 2020’s hardships were handled with resilience which awarded Paper Transport with EPA’s “SmartWay Excellence” award, Unilever’s “Carrier of the Year” award, and Company Driver Montrell Edwards was named KBX Logistics “Driver of the Year.” Ben Schill was named CEO in 2022, and his forward-thinking and innovative ideas are something the company and industry can look forward to.