Hard work just east of the city of Portage la Prairie has paid off. That's according to those at Burbank Express, following the celebration of their grand opening in the RM of Portage. While the facility is new to this area, the company has been around for about a decade, based out of Winkler. Burbank Express President Paul McDonald says while many of the drivers are still from Winkler and area, moving to Portage definitely made the most sense. 

President Paul McDonald

"It's good. For us, we're going to be closer to the processors and hopefully, for the growers, we'll be able to meet their needs quicker. There'll be less driving time for our drivers coming out of Winkler. We've been in Winkler for ten years, so this move just puts us in a prime location."

During the grand opening remarks, McDonald noted the company started as a small operation, with just a handful of trucks in their fleet. Over the past ten years, they've seen the number of trucks grow to about 30, and many more producers becoming involved with them.

Work on the Burbank Express building has been ongoing for over a year, and McDonald says it's exciting to finally see the facility and all it has to offer.

"It's been in the works for quite a while. Our staff has done a good job adapting to this change. The drivers are showing a lot of support, saying they really like the building. It's getting them home at night because they're deliveries are closer to where they start the day."

The facility currently has their own shop to work on the trucks, as well as a wash bay capable of the disinfecting necessary during grain season. However, McDonald says they're currently working to seek accreditation from Manitoba Public Insurance, to allow them to work on their own specialty trailers.