Gilmer, one of the Southeast's largest family-owned third-party logistics providers, has marked its 40th anniversary in 2026 with the opening of a new corporate headquarters in downtown Macon, a national freight brokerage acquisition, and plans to double the size of the business within five years.

Thomas J. Gilmer (Tom) founded the company in 1986 after a 17-year career at G Heileman Brewing Company in Perry, Georgia. The company started with a single warehouse and a straightforward goal: be the logistics partner businesses could actually depend on. During the 1990s, Tom’s children joined the growing business and worked alongside their father. In 2009, Tom transitioned some ownership to his children, and he began serving in an advisory role on the board of directors.

Today, Gilmer operates approximately two million square feet of warehouse space across 14 facilities in the Southeast, serving clients in industrial, consumer packaged goods, food and beverage, automotive manufacturing, and general manufacturing.

"What's unique about Gilmer is the fact that this company has always recognized that the key to success is making sure that the quality of the work is great and that it's tailored to meet the individual needs of the customers," said Satu Mehta, who joined the company as CEO in January 2025.

The past year has brought the most significant period of expansion in the company's history.

Gilmer acquired PowerOne Logistics, a national freight brokerage, extending its transportation capabilities across North America. The company increased regional trucking capacity by more than 40 percent. And it is in final implementation of a new enterprise technology platform built on Acumatica's ERP system and the Savant warehouse management system, which will unify operations across all 14 facilities.

The company remains family-owned, now held by the second generation of the Gilmer family, and continues to operate as a certified women-owned business.

Looking ahead, Mehta sees the I-16 corridor between Macon and Savannah as one of the Southeast's most strategically important logistics development zones. With Savannah's port capacity tightening and the stretch between Macon and Pooler largely underdeveloped, he believes Middle Georgia is positioned to absorb a significant share of the region's logistics growth in the years ahead.

"Tom Gilmer started this company with a simple idea: do the work right, show up when it matters, and the business will follow," Mehta said. "That philosophy has kept this organization growing for 40 years, and we look forward to keeping that momentum up for the next 40."