BlueGrace buys Baltimore firm

RIVERVIEW — BlueGrace Group, the parent company of BlueGrace Logistics, purchased one of the nation's oldest shipping and transportation companies, United States Transportation Consultants (USTC) of Baltimore. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

BlueGrace plans to retain the employees of the Baltimore company and will be hiring 38 people at its Tampa headquarters over the next four months due to the acquisition and growth of the franchise system.

“This allows us to increase corporate support and expand resources for our customers and franchises,” Bobby Harris, president and CEO of BlueGrace Logistics, says in a press release. “Ultimately, the acquisition helps everyone thrive as we continue meeting the high demand for our services.”

BlueGrace has opened 34 locations since launching its franchise program in 2011, and its plans call for an additional 32 locations to open through the end of next year. Prior to the acquisition, the four-year-old company had 145 employees.