Content Sponsored by ALTL Inc.
A family-owned and operated Michigan trucking company has reached a major milestone in company history.
In May 2022, Hudsonville, Michigan-headquartered ALTL Inc. celebrates 50 years in business, fueled by hard work, a willingness to adapt to meet new challenges, and a driver-focused company culture.
To mark the anniversary, the company’s leadership, drivers, and support staff are reflecting back on half a century of transportation excellence and looking forward to a bright future.
From Small-Time Produce Hauler to Thriving Full-Service Transportation and Logistics Provider
The company that would become ALTL got its start in 1972 when founder Anthony Luurtsema purchased equipment from his former employer to form produce hauler A. Luurtsema Produce, Inc., hiring his son Ross and truck driver Andrew Feenstra to help with the fledgling company’s operations. Anthony and Ross’s wives soon joined the team as office support staff, working out of a garage bay in Hudsonville.
The company enjoyed modest growth through the 1970s, but as deregulation transformed the trucking industry in the 1980s, A. Luurtsema Produce’s operations grew significantly and the company became an interstate carrier for selected commodities.
The company continued to find success and growth through the early 1980s thanks to thoughtful and innovative business practices that minimized “deadhead” miles to maximize driver efficiency.
By 1982, A. Luurtsema Produce expanded their services towards hauling canned and frozen goods. The time had come for a name change, and the company became A. Luurtsema Truck Lines, Inc., or ALTL, as it is known today.
The company’s corporate headquarters were established in Hudsonville by 1986. By the end of the 1980s, the company began to offer warehousing and distribution services to their growing list of clients.
When Anthony retired in 1991, Ross bought ALTL and took over what had by now become a full-service carrier for office furniture, high-value products, retail, general merchandise, and foodservice customers.
Ross’s sons joined the business and they remain active in ALTL’s operations to this day.
By 1997, ALTL completed construction on a 100,000 square foot warehouse located in Holland that remains the heart of the company’s logistics operations twenty-five years later.
By the early 2000s, ALTL leadership recognized the important role technology would take in the future of the trucking industry and worked to get ahead of the game, investing early in DOT compliance tech and environmentally friendly practices. Early adoption helped ALTL maintain its competitive edge and meet the challenges of the 2010s and 2020s.
ALTL Carries on Legacy of Innovation and Excellence into 2022 and Beyond
ALTL remains committed to the core principles that have helped them succeed in their first 50 years as they look ahead to the future. By investing in ALTL’s skilled professional drivers year after year, the company has built a reputation within the trucking industry for safety and for providing elite levels of customer service.
ALTL has steadily grown over the decades from just a few family members to currently employ about 100 truck drivers and 25 support staffers, all while remaining family-operated and owned. Having forged valuable long-term relationships with both customers and employees, ALTL is well-positioned for long-term trucking success in 2022 and the years to come.
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