by Leigh Davis, Director of Marketing and Communications, Greater Waco Chamber
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ejas Logistics System is a full-service, third-party logistics company headquartered in Waco, Texas offering approximately one million square feet of space across its three Texas locations in Waco, Hillsboro and Waxahachie for storing products including, construction materials, lumber, paper and pharmaceuticals. The company attributes its success to listening to customer requests and responding to customer needs. In October, I visited with Tom Greene, President, and Matt Reynolds, Vice President, from Tejas Logistics to gain their insight into the local logistics and supply chain industry, and to discuss the company’s history, as well as its current business condition. Sitting strategically distanced in Tom’s office, Greene and Reynolds painted the picture of a company with deep roots in Waco and a fervent commitment to its employees and customers. 18 | WINTER 2020
Tejas Logistics is a part of Waco’s rich history, opening as a cotton compress and commercial and agricultural warehouse in 1902 under the name Exporters & Traders Compress & Warehouse Co. in its current location on Pleasant Street. “In the early 1900s, cotton compresses were located in the downtown areas of towns, in close proximity to their rail systems. Waco was unique because we had four rails coming into this location, outside of the downtown area,” stated Greene. The Waco location progressed into primarily warehouse space under the name Tejas Warehouse in the 80s touting 562,000 square feet to offer customers for storage, while the Hillsboro location of the company continued pressing cotton into the 90s. “A lot of people had not seen a bale of cotton in their life, much less pressed,” said Greene. He reverently noted the cultural aspect of the pressing process, specifically the songs sung, which, Greene added, created a “unique rhythm” to the process and aided in its success.
