HISTORY OF DELTA LOGISTICS

Distributing to the world since 1904

Delta Logistics provides commercial and agriculture warehousing, distribution, transportation, and a myriad of other value added services to a wide spectrum of clients. Three locations serve the greater metroplex in Dallas, Greenville, and Cooper, Texas.

Delta Logistics was founded in 1904 as the Delta County Farmers Association. It was created to serve thousands of cotton farmers in Northeast Texas with processing and distribution of their crops.

In 1938 Mr. Quentin Miller and Mr. Hubert Smith took the task of establishing a plant that could address the USDA loan program. They started with two warehouses with a total of 20,000 square feet at DCFA site in Cooper, Texas. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Miller bought Mr. Smith’s interest and assumed full ownership of the endeavor. The facility had grown to over 90,000 square feet under roof. Five additional buildings had been constructed. He operated the facility until 1943 when Mr. Miller went into the Army to serve his country. Being his warehouses were situated on DCFA leased property he attempted to sell them his facility. They expressed no interest, which resulted in his liquidation of the materials piece by piece. He received more for the salvage material than he had paid for them due to the great demand for metal roofing and lumber as a result of the war. 

Upon Mr. Quentin Miller’s return in 1947, he was elected President of DCFA by the stockholders that consisted of up to 200+ members at one time. He and Mr. L. F. Hooten Sr. rebuilt the facility and the business. Mr. Hooten Sr. was the President of the First National Bank and by that time Mr. Miller had been elected Chairman of the Board of the Delta National Bank in Cooper. Two things happened in the mid-fifties that changed the firm’s role in the community and paved the path to present-day operations. The company entered the commercial storage business by handling one commercial account that the banks were financing. The company enjoyed a national reputation by producing a new type garment for infants and toddlers. This provided us with a hand-on education in the operation of a commercial warehouse. 

The Greenville cotton compress facility is home of Delta’s corporate office and warehousing. The compress, during its time, became the largest inland press in the world. It was so highly regarded by the spinners of Manchester, England, that growers soon shipped cotton from many miles away to obtain the Greenville Compress marking. England, Germany, China and France were the major buyers of cotton produced in this region from 1904 through 1940. In 1946 the market shifted to Japan and Taiwan. In the 50’s Korea entered the picture with a diminishing European influence.

On September 12, 1912, the compress set a record for the most bales pressed in a ten hour day. That day 2,073 bales were hand-trucked, pressed, and loaded in rail cars at a rate of three per minute.

This was before the invention of lifts and tractors. All labor was done by skilled black workers, each man pushing a 500 pound bale and truck at a dead run, moving to the relentless pace of chants.

In 1979, Mr. Quentin Miller and DCFA became involved in the daily operation of the Greenville Compress. Production of cotton in Northeast Texas, particularly on the lighter soils and depleted black lands, was dropping rapidly. Many of the existing Compress and Gin operators were going out of business. The Greenville facility provided some distinct advantages with rail access and would not require extensive repairs. Upon receiving secured commitments from seventeen gins in the area, DCFA finalized the purchase of the eighteen acres and equipment. After experienced operators were hired and processing of cotton began.

Rubbermaid arrived in Greenville in 1989 and became a customer. A valued relationship has spanned over a twenty-year period. Delta clients also included Wing Industries, Tom’s Peanuts and Chips, along with Crown Door during that time frame.

In 1991, Mr. Quentin Miller became ill and was incapacitated for the next two years. His son, Mr. Frank H. Miller, Vice President took over the reins of the company known as Greenville Compress, Storage & Transportation. Due to the declining cotton production, the Compress was forced to look for other avenues of service in the early 1990’s. Frank Miller was the major thrust behind expansion into other markets during this time period. He was the force behind modernization of the facilities and equipment. By 1993, the company was operating from six warehouse locations providing logistic services for a myriad of clients.

The Board of Directors officially changed the corporation to Delta Logistics, Incorporated in 1996. Since that time, Delta has become a service provider for a wide-range of companies, enabling them to store and distribute a higher percentage of their goods in a shorter amount of time, resulting in their increased sales and profits.

In 2008, Delta Logistics remains a player in the cotton industry. Delta has handled thousand of bales of cotton being shipped from growers in West Texas to destinations in Indonesia and China. Even though the Compress no longer is operational, the floor remains intact to this day.

The company’s oldest employee James Morgan still reports to work every day. The only time he was not working at the compress was when he served his country in World War II. James can reflect on some interesting accounts of things he has experienced over his 55 plus year tenure.

Delta continues to grow business and is in the “Top 10 Warehouse Providers” in the Dallas area according to the Dallas Business Journal. Delta Logistics has based it business model on delivering “outrageous customer service” with emphasis on superior performance and aggressiveness while adhering to the highest standard of integrity.

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