A fast-growing Portland-based freight hauler and courier has opened a 70-employee regional headquarters here and also has established four Eastern Washington branches, with 35 more workers, that report to the Spokane Valley operation.


The company, Integrity Transportation Group (ITG), last month formed two subsidiaries here, Pacific Cargo Services Washington LLC and Pacific Courier Services Washington LLC, which both to do business under the marketing name PCS, says James Holman, president and CEO of both companies and owner of ITG. Pacific Courier provides metropolitan-area and regional courier services, while Pacific Cargo provides freight hauling over longer distances.


Those two companies also have taken over a 15-employee PCS operation in the Seattle suburb of Kent, which was opened last year by ITGs two Portland-based subsidiaries, and Holman says he expects the Spokane Valley concerns will aggressively expand PCSs presence in the Puget Sound market. Also, within the next year or two, the two Spokane-area concerns will look to expand into Lewiston and Boise, Idaho, he says.


The PCS companies here share a two-story, 17,000-square-foot leased facility at 1030 N. Lake, in Spokane Valley.


The companies recently opened the four branch offices in Moses Lake, Kennewick, Yakima, and Wenatchee, Holmes says. They serve both ITGs freight and courier service arms.


Were looking to expand our footprint, he says. We want to penetrate the Eastern Washington market on a greater level.


The companies here plan to hire about 11 more employees soon for the Spokane Valley facility, and have been making a more than seven-digit investment in new equipment, Holman says.


Holman earlier had planned to expand to Eastern Washington by acquiring a Post Falls-based courier company, called AmWest Courier, which did business in Eastern Washington and which Holman says was the largest courier concern in the region.


AmWest went out of business in late August, however, before the acquisition could be completed, he says. Instead, Holman says, the two Spokane Valley companies have hired about 90 percent of AmWests former employees, and have picked up about 90 percent of that former companys client base.


ITGs expansion plans in this region are part of an aggressive effort to create a courier and freight-service network throughout the Northwest, Holman says. Eventually, ITG also hopes to extend its reach to northern California and parts of Utah and Nevada, both through the companys own growth and through acquisitions, he says.


ITG, which formed in 2001, had revenues of $7 million last year, Holman says. He expects that PCS Washington will help the parent company double those revenues to roughly $14 million this year. Holman says that about half of ITGs overall revenues come from its freight operations, but adds that, so far, freight is making up a bigger share, about 75 percent, of revenue from the Spokane Valley-based operations.


ITG is seeking to carve a niche in the multibillion-dollar courier industry by offering same-day regional service, which large national companies typically cant offer, he says.


The health-care industry represents ITGs fastest-growing market segment, at about 35 percent of total sales, which includes transporting items such as medications, samples, and health-care equipment, he says.


Among the other sections ITG serves are the auto parts, financial services, and office products industries, he says.


Last year, the group gave 32 percent of its net income to charities, up from 10 percent in its first year in business, he says.


It plans to give away 33 percent of its net income this year, and tries to increase the percentage each year. It donates heavily to nonprofit organizations, particularly those aimed at helping at-risk youth, Holmes says.


The PCS Washington companies are looking to donate money to between three and five charities in the Spokane area this year, Holman says.


Were looking to grow our bottom line, not our top line, so we can give away as much as we can, Holman says. I want to be able to influence the world in my sphere of influence in a positive way, and hopefully other businesses and individuals will be encouraged to do the same as a result.


Contact Emily Brandler at (509) 344-1265 or via e-mail at [email protected].