Attention Wal-Mart Shippers

CORNWALL, Ont. — Does advertising work, or what?

Bob Gauthier runs Seaway Express, based in this eastern Ontario city, and two of his trailers are decorated with the words "Choose Cornwall."

The city fathers love his mobile promotion and last week announced that because more and more companies are indeed choosing Cornwall, Seaway will be expanding to meet the growing demand.

"I congratulate Bob Gauthier and his staff for their continued success," Cornwall Mayor Bob Kilger said in a press release.

His Worship was referring to Gauthier’s announcement that he is purchasing six more acres of land in the town’s industrial plaza and opening a new facility thereupon to augment the two buildings he already has.

"Seaway Express is a growing company that continues to express its confidence and commitment to Cornwall’s future," said the mayor.

Beginning as a one-truck operation serving Eastern Ontario in 1990, Seaway has grown to over 65 units and has made a specialty out of serving the tightly scheduled Wal-Mart distribution Center, also located in the Cornwall Business Park.

Known as Supply Chain Management, the Wal-Mart depot handles all the stores’ merchandise east of Ontario.

Last month, another huge company announced the construction of a 500,000-sq.-ft. distribution centre to service Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores. The new facility will begin construction in spring 2009.

Explained Gauthier: "The object of Seaway’s land purchase is to provide a one stop location for carriers who for appointment reasons cannot deliver into SCM or soon to be SDM as well.

"The location off the 401," he said, "and next door to almost two million square feet of distribution centers is key to our long-term goal of being a service provider to out-of-town carriers for the Eastern Ontario region. The proposed building will also allow for rentable warehouse space."