Founded in 1959 by WE Baker, Associated Transfer & Storage, Inc. initially started as a household goods moving and storage business in Urbana, Illinois, serving as an agent for several carriers including Global Van Lines and Wheaton Van Lines. Ownership passed from WE Baker to two of his children, Norm Baker and Judie Baker-Barrows, in 1974.  Under Norm and Judie’s leadership, ATS expanded its services to include commercial warehousing in 1978.  In 1980, ATS built and moved into a new 100,000 square foot warehouse, leasing half of it.  To complement the new facility, a local freight shuttle and regional trucking operation were added.  During the 1980s, two additions were added to this first facility and the company began leasing additional space to accommodate its growth.

 

In 1989, Norm promoted one of his employees, Art Warren to the position of President.  In 1993, ATS moved to a 600,000 square foot facility, the largest it had ever operated, and underwent a change of ownership from the Baker family to the Monahan family, led by Joe Monahan.  Art Warren became a co-owner.  This began a new era in the company’s history, as it maintained its family-oriented culture and achieved remarkable success.  From 1996 to 2004, Joe and Art partnered in the purchase of two additional facilities in Champaign, as well as of one of the facilities that ATS was leasing and operating.  ATS also operated a facility in Danville, Illinois and in 2020 expanded to a 280,000 square foot facility in Decatur, Illinois.

 

In 2023, Art Warren stepped into an advisory role and handed over leadership to Matt Williams who was named President and COO.  The Monahan family continues to own and guide the company moving forward.

 

Throughout the years, ATS has grown significantly, gaining experience with a wide range of customers with unique requirements.  ATS diversified its client base to include various industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, retail, and healthcare. Leveraging its expertise in warehousing and distribution, ATS has been offering logistics services to its customers as its core business.  ATS strives to provide quality, reliability, and efficiency in every aspect of its operations.