History
Continental Express, Inc.
The vision of Continental Express began in 1976 when Russell L. Gottemoeller, President and founder of Continental Express, Inc., bought his first truck and began his career in the transportation industry. Gottemoeller, a true entrepreneur, based his business out of his father’s farm located in the small west-central Ohio town of Fort Loramie. In the first year, he and his wife, Rene, worked from the Fort Loramie location, hired their first driver, and named the business Gottemoeller Trucking (Continental Express’s original name).
During the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, the trucking industry was not the most attractive field to enter. The market was volatile and the risk was high. As other trucking companies were expanding faster than they could afford, Continental Express took a conservative approach and expanded only at a pace that proved to be profitable.
This approach allowed the gradual expansion to 8 trucks by the early 1980s. It was in March of 1984 that Continental Express was officially incorporated. The focus of business at that time was refrigerated truckload service to select food companies, most of which Continental Express still services today.
When the company had 25 trucks in 1987, it became necessary to move the business to a larger facility and closer to a major highway. At that time a new facility was constructed and Continental Express moved to the location which now serves as its corporate headquarters located at 10450 State Route 47 in Sidney, Ohio. A second addition to the shop facility was completed in 1992, adding two additional bays.
By 1994 Continental Express had grown to be rated #58 in the country for refrigerated carriers. Business demands for Continental Express’s outstanding service capabilities continued and the fleet grew to 77 tractors and 127 refrigerated trailers in 1995. Also during this time, a key customer approached Continental Express about supplying them with dedicated services for their local business. The venture proved successful and now over 30% of Continental Express’s services include hauling freight on dedicated routes to many different customers.
Also in 1995, the Sidney, Ohio corporate headquarters were expanded and remodeled. This expansion tripled the office and the shop facility. In the spring of 1999, Continental Express added a larger fueling station and expanded the parking area to allow for additional truck parking.
In 2004 the company further expanded its corporate headquarters by completing the construction of a six-bay, two-dock trailer shop. Three years later, the corporate offices expanded yet again when Continental Express added an addition to the office building in 2007. The construction occurred in three phases and resulted in a significant amount of additional space for Continental management and personnel. In 2012, Continental Express added a 12,000 square foot storage warehouse to its corporate campus.
In the past 10 years, Continental has continued with its strong pattern of growth and opened terminals in:
Gaffney, South
Carolina;
Danville, Virginia;
Louisville, Kentucky;
Fort Worth, Texas.
These terminals have allowed Continental Express to continue its growth and better serve customers throughout the United States.
Since the company’s beginnings, Continental Express has grown into a nationally recognized leader in the transportation industry. The company is now ranked in the top 14 largest refrigerated carriers in the nation. The fleet size has grown from the one truck in 1976 to nearly 350 tractors and 850 refrigerated trailers in 2016. The company currently employs over 550 drivers and support personnel.
Gottemoeller’s vision for Continental Express continues today. He is dedicated to ensuring that Continental Express maintains a strong financial portfolio while he continuously looks for opportunities to grow the business