For a decade, the owners of Savage Logistics, a Richland trucking firm, have shared an office.

“We’ve made it work,” said Salina Savage, Savage Logistics co-owner. “I spend a lot of my time outside the office but when we’re both here it’s easy to just turn around and say, ‘hey, what do you think about this or that?’”

Despite the company’s new building underway, the women have no plans to have separate offices anytime soon.

“Even if we do, there’ll be a door between them so all we have to do is say, hey, what do you think of ...,” Stone said, laughing.

In April, Savage and her business partner, Barbara Stone, broke ground on a new building at 1440 Battelle Blvd., Richland. Nucor Building Systems designed the 37,500 sq.-ft. concrete block and metal building.

"We’re excited to finally be able to have all our operations in one place."

-Barbara Stone, co-owner of Savage Logistics

Initially, the building will have 500 sq. ft. of finished office space with an option of adding 5,000 sq. ft., giving Savage Logistics plenty of room to grow in the future.

“It’ll also include a nice conference room, to give us a place for company parties and a place to hold barbecues. It’ll be great to have our own space to do with whatever we want to do,” Savage said.

Cost of the new structure is $2.2 million, which includes the land and building.

Savage and Stone are both general contractors and are overseeing the construction of the new building.

“We’re excited to finally be able to have all our operations in one place,” Stone said.

Currently the duo lease space in four different locations.

“It makes for quite a number of phone calls and driving around,” Savage said.

Savage and Stone initially bought the five-acre parcel from the Port of Benton and are in the process of negotiating for an additional acre adjacent to their land.

“The lot needs to be just a bit larger,” Savage said. “We need the room for the turning radius for the trucks.” Depending on which trailer is hooked to the tractor, the rig can be from 70 to 75 feet long.

The partners began with just three tractors and five trailers 10 years ago and now own 25 tractors and 100 trailers in various configurations. They also have a staff of 35 employees.

“Depending on what we’re hauling, radioactive waste and soils, specialized equipment for (Pacific Northwest National Laboratories) or fuel for the reactors, we switch out the trailers. That’s why we need so many,” Savage said.

Savage Logistics also has a contract to haul the huge convex concrete sections to line the tunnel for Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement project. The tunnel is being dug by a huge machine, dubbed Bertha.

“It takes 10 segments to line 10 feet of tunnel. Hauling them keeps our 12 employees there in the Seattle area busy 24/7,” Savage said.

For more information about Savage Logistics call 509-375-6222, email [email protected] or visit
savagelogistics.com.