DATE: Tuesday, September 9, 1997            TAG: 9709090254

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFFREY S. HAMPTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY                    LENGTH:   64 lines

LOCAL SUPPORT MAY HELP KEEP ESTES TRUCKING IN THE AREA

A trucking company that was ready to pull up its 32-year-old roots here is getting unprecedented support from governments and businesses in the region.

Now, Estes Express Lines is willing to wait and see if business picks up enough to keep the company around.

``I've never received as many letters and calls as I have from Elizabeth City,'' Estes President Robey W. ``Rob'' Estes, said Monday. ``We've merged several of our terminals in North Carolina without this kind of reaction.''

On Monday, Pasquotank County joined Chowan County and North Carolina's Northeast Partnership in approving a resolution calling for businesses to support Estes trucking. NCNP has urged its 16 member counties to do the same.

``I don't recall this happening before,'' said Ike McRee, attorney for Pasquotank County for the past years and Currituck County's attorney for four years before that. McRee drafted the resolution.

Estes is one of two bulk trucking companies with terminals in Elizabeth City. It serves 451 businesses in northeastern North Carolina. The company serves 84 business in Pasquotank County, 75 in Dare County and 50 in Chowan.

The Richmond-based company has 66 terminals in 22 states.

Estes' value is its proximity, business owners say.

As long as Estes stays in Elizabeth City it can ship from this area every day and can deliver and pick up packages after hours, said Pete Lacy, vice president and generalmanager of Miles Jennings, a company that sells industrial tools and equipment.

Out-of-town carriers deliver and pick up every other day. Last-minute orders are a large part of his business, and, Lacy said, he depends on daily service.

``I'll miss sales,'' Lacy said. ``I was beating the drum to get them here, and I'm still beating the drum to keep them here. We've written letters to all our suppliers and asked them to ship with Estes.''

Fredrickson Motor Express Corp., a 75-year-old trucking business based in Charlotte, also has a small terminal in Elizabeth City. Local terminal manager Terry Dukes said his operation is much smaller than Estes' and he was not offended at local governments announcing support for his competition.

``Our position is not, `Gosh, I hope Estes gets run out of town,' '' Dukes said. ``If businesses feel Estes is good for the community, then Fredrickson certainly supports that.''

Most of Estes' competition comes from companies based in Norfolk and Wilson, such as Yellow Freight and Southeastern Freight, Rob Estes said.

``We're looking for new business and to get help from the businesses we have,'' Estes said.

A drop in revenue since 1995 brought on the decision to move, Estes said. The number of full-time truckers dropped from 14 to eight, but the local operation still employs 22 people. Much of the decrease came after last year's departure of IXL, a cabinet-making company.

Estes Express Lines announced it would merge the Elizabeth City terminal with the Norfolk terminal in early August. Prompted by Lacy and others, Pasquotank County Industrial Developer Randy Harrell asked Rob Estes to meet with local leaders on Aug. 19.

``I told him, `You've been here 32 years and people consider you part of the Elizabeth City family. Would you please reconsider?' '' Harrell said.

Estes and the contingent agreed that if daily shipping counts in and out of Elizabeth City increased from 120 to 200, the terminal could stay open.

``That's a lofty goal, but that's where we were a couple of years ago,'' Estes said.

Harrell said he hopes Estes can add 50 new businesses by the end of February.

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