Greenville now can claim another benefit of being home to two Hyundai suppliers with the recent opening of a new trucking terminal.

Ricky McLaney, executive director of the Butler County Commission for Economic Development made the announcement Monday night before the Greenville City Council.

He told the Council that the company is Richway Transportation Services, a 36-year company based in Houston, Texas.

&uot;They have terminals in Houston and in Laredo,&uot; McLaney said.

&uot;Their Alabama terminals are located in Axis and in Mobile.&uot;

RTS is a closely held corporation owned by the Nolan Richardson family of Houston.

The company began offering services in the Port of Houston in 1969 and continues to do so until today.

They have comprehensive cargo handling capabilities at their existing terminals.

They plan to establish one here in Greenville to serve HYSCO America.

RTS’s goals for the Greenville terminal are first to be a responsible corporate partner to the community by contributing to its economic growth.

The principal reason for the company’s locating here, according to a business prospectus, is to serve HYSCO America with future plans to expand services throughout Alabama.

&uot;Richway Transportation proposed to HYSCO America a total service package for transporting imported steel to the Greenville area,&uot; McLaney said.

&uot;They will then redistribute the steel to Hwashin and DongWon in Crenshaw County and other sites that service the Hyundai plant.&uot;

According to the prospectus, an onsite manager and drivers will be hired in the Greenville area to operate the terminal that will be located in the industrial park.

&uot;They will have an initial capital investment of $2 million and plan to employ around 15 people with an annual payroll of approximately $650,000,&uot; McLaney said.

&uot;When they are fully operational and HYSCO is at full production, Richway will employ 30 or more people and they will have 25-30 trailers on site.&uot;

McLaney went on to say Richway purchased 7.3 acres in the Greenville Industrial Park, and that negotiations continue on another piece of property.

&uot;We have been working on this project for several months and will continue until we meet all of Richway’s needs,&uot; he told the Council.

Mayor Dexter McLendon congratulated McLaney on another success and praised Richway for its commitment.

&uot;For them to employ 15 people with an annual payroll of $650,000 is pretty strong,&uot; he said.

&uot;That means there will be more money to put back in the development of Greenville.&uot;

The company’s owner, Nolan Richardson, said they expect great growth from the area.

&uot;Alabama will be a high growth area because of the rapidly growing ‘automotive industry and its central location in the South,&uot; he stated in a release.