BDR Transport Closes, Employees Transition to GMH Transportation
WESTMINSTER — On a Friday afternoon in May, the team at BDR Transport received the shocking news that the company would be shutting down after 53 years of service.
“On Friday, we were informed by our owners, American West Worldwide Express, of their decision to cease our operations,” explained Greg Gay of BDR following the announcement on May 19. “We were instructed to deliver the remaining freight but to stop picking up new loads.”
However, by that following Monday, quick action by Gay and Gordon Eglintine, the owner of GMH Transportation, ensured that all 28 employees from BDR retained their jobs without losing a single workday.
During the weekend, Gay collaborated with Eglintine and representatives from American West to arrange for GMH to assume BDR’s delivery routes. Both companies are situated in Westminster.
“The livelihoods of our employees were at stake,” noted Eglintine. “Everyone involved was focused on the two main priorities: taking care of the customers and the employees.”
“Many of our staff have dedicated 20 to 30 years to BDR,” Gay remarked. “I was thrilled that we could preserve their jobs.”
Gay explained that BDR operated as a “less than truckload” carrier, where drivers transported products that didn’t fill an entire trailer. In contrast, GMH specializes in full truckloads, making the acquisition of BDR’s routes a seamless addition to their services. Eglintine confirmed that former BDR employees would utilize GMH’s equipment and continue their work without any changes to their pay or benefits, emphasizing the rewarding nature of keeping 28 individuals employed.
BDR was established by Nelson Withington in 1970, initially providing deliveries for shoe manufacturers such as Bass and Dunham, as well as ski boot maker Rosemount. The Gay family, who founded Gay’s Express in 1959, acquired BDR in the early ’90s. Greg Gay and his cousin, Doug Gay (now retired), purchased the company from their fathers in 2003. In late 2022, BDR became part of American West, but Greg remained to oversee daily operations.
