After 30 years of traveling US 64 through Davie County to pick up furniture from the Hickory/Lenoir area, Shelba D. Johnson Trucking, a leader in the furniture transportation and delivery industry, has opened a furniture distribution center in Mocksville.

This new warehouse/distribution center, in the former Baker Furniture Upholstery plant, a 168,820 square foot building at 970 Milling Road, is an extension of the company’s Lexington distribution center. The company plans to bring 15 new jobs to Davie County, and is hiring eight general warehouse positions (www.sdjtrucking.com/careers/mocksville.aspx).

The Lexington center provides warehousing and distribution services to 40 furniture manufacturers including Intercon Furniture, A-America, and Legends Furniture. The Mocksville site will provide storage and distribution for Stanley Furniture’s Stone & Leigh youth furniture line as well as other manufacturers.

“We were having growing pains,” said Chuck Nance, Shelba D. Johnson Trucking’s logistics manager. “Our 700,000 square foot distribution center in Lexington is full and we needed a place to expand.”

Joe Wade, president and owner of Shelba D. Johnson Trucking, is amazed at how quickly their warehousing operation has grown.

“We started a small warehousing operation in High Point for a customer 7-8 years ago, and wondered how we would ever fill the 65,000 square feet of space,” he said. “Six months later it was full. We opened a second distribution center in Lexington, and after two expansions, it is now also full.”

“In order to keep up with demand, we needed additional space,” Wade added. “We found the perfect property to meet our needs in Davie County, and the owners were great to work with, allowing us to lease half of the building and begin storing product before the final closing. Half of the building is now full and we believe the rest is spoken for.”

Terry Bralley, president of the Davie County Economic Commission, is pleased to welcome the business to Davie County.

“Shelba D Johnson is really a rolling billboard up and down the highway, and we are excited that they now have a Davie County connection.  We are blessed to have another company bringing jobs and opportunities to our community.  With an additional 30 acres purchased by the company for possible expansion, we look forward to continuing to grow together in the future.”

Headquartered in Thomasville, Shelba D. Johnson has been in the furniture transportation and delivery industry for 30 years. The company has approximately 4,000 customers in 23 states and territories along the eastern seaboard of the United States, some mid-western states and Texas.

Their customers include retail organizations as well as home decorators and “Mom and Pop” furniture stores. Shippers include the traditional furniture manufacturers, importers, marketers, internet entrepreneurs and contemporary furniture creators.

Shelba D. Johnson operates a fleet of more than 170 trucks and 550 trailers, including owner operators, from its terminals in Thomasville and Archdale. Offering daily pick-up and delivery, the company’s trucks will travel around 18 million miles this year.