LA PORTE, Texas—Jeff Creel primarily worked with tank truck carriers over the last 30 years, including 20 with Linden Bulk Transportation—now part of Groendyke Transport—so he expected to take on a new role after joining Kraft Tank Corporation on the supplier side in April. He didn’t know that job was tour guide.
Creel estimates he’s already led 100 interested parties through Kraft’s new Houston-area mega facility, which opened for parts sales in August, and maintenance and repair services in September. Three crews, including one from Heniff Transportation, arrived the same day Bulk Transporter visited the 56,000-sq.-ft. building on State Highway 225—right in the heart of the country’s petrochemical industry.
“It’s been exciting,” said Creel, officially the general manager for Kraft’s new La Porte location. “When you have a facility like this, you want to show it off, because in our industry, especially in this area, we’re not used to places this spectacular. So it provides that ‘wow’ factor when customers come in.”
Besides guiding tours, Creel’s been busy growing the location’s staff, parts inventory, and equipment services; gearing up for the next phase of expansion, which includes adding trailer sales and leasing; and preparing the 9-acre property for a grand-opening celebration in the first half of 2025. “[CEO] Spencer [Kraft} handed me the keys and said, ‘Build us a team,’” Creel said. “And we’re fortunate to have this one.
“It’s a phenomenal group with a lot of experience and can-do attitudes.”
Parts and service
Kraft’s La Porte facility houses $1 million in inventory in a 10,000-sq.-ft. warehouse, with a broad selection of foreign and domestic blowers, pumps, hoses, valves, gaskets, lights, axles, suspensions, and myriad other parts, components, and accessories for chemical, crude, dry bulk, and petroleum tankers. Bryan Metcalf, La Porte parts manager, is aiming for $1.75 million in inventory next year.
“Our inventory is growing every day,” shared Metcalf, who previously worked for Trimac Transportation and Superior Carriers (now part of Heniff). “We’re bringing in new product lines and distributing for more vendors.” Suppliers include Betts Industries, BTI, Civacon, Dixon Valve & Coupling, Gardner Denver, Girad Equipment, Grote Industries, Hendrickson, Peterson Manufacturing, SAF-Holland, Stemco, Timken, and Truck-Lite.
“We’re stocking heavy,” Creel said.
“We want to be able to service our customers, and we can’t do that if we don’t have what they need on the shelf.”
La Porte’s parts supply supports over-the-counter sales and in-house work. Mechanics were refurbishing, upfitting, and servicing liquid and dry bulk tank trailers when Bulk Transporter toured the 10-bay shop. Heniff’s contingent, including Ken Shafer, director of fleet maintenance, was there to see the facility and inspect an old Coal City Cob unit Kraft was transforming into a like-new, Heniff-branded trailer.
“Customers have been very happy with our inventory and our service,” Metcalf said.
Work in progress
Kraft began renovating the La Porte property, which is right next door to a Depot Connect International tank wash, soon after purchasing it from Louisiana Chemical Company last year. Improvements include upgraded offices and front counter, workstations with buried air and electric lines, and emergency shower and eyewash stations. Newly installed, “top-of-the-line” equipment includes a Continental PC440i Crimper with CrimpIQ controller, Gardner Denver air compressor, and Great Lakes air dryer.
The location also has two trucks for deliveries and mobile service, and a yard mule with a hydraulic lift and auto fifth-wheel unlock.
But the work of establishing Kraft’s fourth location is ongoing—with the full support of the company’s leaders in Kansas City. “It’s been a total team effort,” Creel said. “They’ve really helped us get this operation up and running. The people in the Kraft organization are phenomenal—and that’s top to bottom.”
Among the next steps are paving the parking lot, adding a 60-ft.-by-100-ft. awning in front of the facility, prepping additional bays to support expansion, and utilizing the building’s two 25-ton overhead cranes for moving heavy equipment. “We’ll offer an exhaustive product line, with new and leased tanks, including FRPs, compressed gas trailers, silos, and more,” Creel said. “Kraft’s lease fleet is very impressive.”
Creel also was close to renewing his Railroad Commission of Texas license to work on MC-331 cargo tanks and securing La Porte’s R-Stamp with the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors for barrel alterations, while continuing to grow the location’s staff, which had 13 members in September. The goal is to hire 30 mechanics before the facility’s grand opening early next year—when Bulk Transporter will check back in for a deeper dive on Kraft’s expansion plans and market outlook.
“We’re changing the game here,” Metcalf concluded. “We’re going to do a lot of things that have never been done in this region.”
