Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.'s 216th service center, located in Canton, Ohio, officially opened last week and is slated to be the company's first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified facility in its nationwide network.


The company will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at the 70-door facility on Nov. 9. Canton Mayor William J. Healy II, Old Dominion Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Greg Gantt, and Old Dominion Senior Vice President of Sales, Marty Freeman are expected to attend the ceremony.

The new center, located at 3970 Commerce Street SW, will employ 40 people. Old Dominion operates six other service centers in Ohio; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown, and currently employs 530 people statewide.

"The state of Ohio is vitally important to Old Dominion's operations. With this new service center we can provide our current and future customers with an even more reliable link to the area's major thoroughfares," Gantt said. "Many of the measures used in the design and construction of this center to achieve LEED certification are common sense solutions that will help us meet our business goals while also being responsible, environmental stewards."

LEED Certification

To work toward LEED certification, the company employed a number of energy efficiency and water savings measures. They include a water-efficient landscape design that does not require irrigation; low-VOC paints, coatings and carpet; and a combination of increased wall and roof insulation, high-performance windows, efficient HVAC equipment, light fixtures and controls that should help to reduce energy use by 19% compared to a facility designed and built to standard construction codes.

In addition, Old Dominion used sustainable materials in the service center's construction. Thirty-nine percent of building materials used during construction have recycled post- or pre-consumer content, and 63% of building materials originated and were manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the site.

Old Dominion estimates that the center will see a 19.7% annual energy savings, including a reduction of 319,511 kWh and 1,678 therms. The company estimates it can reduce water consumption by 34%, saving more than 31,000 gallons of water annually.

Poised for Growth

The Canton center is strategically located along Interstate 77, which provides easy access to Interstates 80 and 90 -- two of the nation's longest interstate highways -- and Interstate 70, which the federal government in 2007 named as one of six "Corridors of the Future." The program aims to reduce congestion on major thoroughfares, and when complete, Interstate 70 will have dedicated truck lanes between Ohio and Missouri.

The Canton Service Center is the latest in a string of upgrades Old Dominion is making to its national network. In 2011, the company plans to invest between $260 million and $295 million on capital expenditures, including $100 million to $120 million for real estate purchases and expansion projects at the company's existing facilities.

In August, Old Dominion launched an expansion of its regional hub in Indianapolis, creating up to 183 new jobs by 2014. As part of the $22 million project, Old Dominion will expand the service center from 223 doors to 325 doors, making it one of the largest centers in the company's network.