GAS — B&H Freight, a 70-year-old company that has had a terminal in Gas a dozen years, wants to expand.
Whether Gas Council members will seize the opportunity won’t be known until their Nov. 14 meeting. Tuesday night they put off more than cursory discussion, and a decision, on whether to deed — outright or for unmentioned compensation — 12 lots in three parcels directly north of B&H’s terminal, at the southeast edge of town.
B&H leases the terminal and an associated 2.4 acres, and would like to purchase that, said J.D. Handley, its representative. That transaction, if one were to occur, apparently will hinge on whether additional land can be obtained from Gas.
Steve Robb, city superintendent, made the only response of consequence, saying “you couldn’t afford the property” B & H covets, because it is of value to Gas.
The area is used as a brush dump, for Gas and its residents, and also is where dirt is stored.
Also, Robb said if the company didn’t employ 20 people — it currently has seven working from the Gas terminal — “we wouldn’t be interested.”
Council members didn’t dispute Robb’s comments, and were terse with theirs.
“I’d like to see something down there,” said Councilman Larry Robertson, in the most positive of comments.
Mayor Darrell Catron, attending his first meeting in several months because of illness, asked whether B&H had made any improvements to South Main Street, which it uses to access U.S. 54 a few blocks to the north. “We might if we were asked,” Handley said, “but no one has asked us.”
Handley rolled with the cool reception, and, in answer to a question from the Register, said if the company didn’t find a means to expand in Gas “I’d say our chances of leaving are 95 percent. We buy as much as we can in Gas, but there isn’t much to buy, and if we expand, and have more employees, they will spend money here.
“Think about it and do what you want to,” Handley said as the exchange unraveled.
IN REMARKS at the start, Handley said B&H — named for Belton and Harrisonville, Mo. — had four transports that delivered and picked up freight throughout southeast Kansas. Two line trucks ferry freight to the company’s home terminal in Kansas City each day, and return with things to be distributed to destinations as far away as Fort Scott, Pittsburg and Coffeyville.
“We haul our own freight and some for others, including UPS,” he said. “We’re in negotiations with Amazon that could lead us to making residential deliveries for huge national companies in southeast Kansas. We have lots of opportunities, (potential) customers are just about beating our door down.”
He also mentioned the company had looked at other cities, including Humboldt and Chanute. “We just need more room for parking, and maybe to build a shop,” where tractor and trailer rigs would be maintained.
“We had thought about the Diebolt property, before the school thing started and apparently is going to get bigger, and also the old Klein Tools plant north of Moran, before it was sold,” Handley said.
When appraised of the possibility that B&H, which hauls for Humboldt’s B&W Trailer Hitches, might be looking elsewhere, Humboldt City Administrator Cole Herder said he would be eager to visit with Handley.
