Supply-chain problems aren’t stunting the growth of one Bowling Green-based company that specializes in transportation management and warehousing.

Bluegrass Supply Chain, a logistics provider founded in 2002, has opened its second location in Franklin, with plans to employ up to 100 people at the new 105,000-square-foot facility in Henderson Industrial Park.

John Higgins, Bluegrass Supply Chain CEO, said the new plant is providing re-packaging services for products shipped in bulk by various customers.

“When products are made in Asia, it’s less expensive to ship in bulk and have us re-package for the end use,” Higgins said. “We have hired around 80 people already, and we hope to get up to 100.”

It’s the latest in a number of expansions – and the second into Franklin – for a company that has been on a steep growth curve since its founding.

Bluegrass employs another 10 people at a 148,000-square-foot warehouse in Franklin’s Sanders Industrial Park that was expanded last year. All told, the homegrown company has more than 800 employees at 24 locations across six states. The company has 2.5 million square feet of warehouse space across that region.

Higgins said expansion of its presence in Franklin is a good fit for Bluegrass because of the easy access to Interstate 65 and to the region his company serves.

“The town is ideally suited for us to be in close proximity to our customers,” Higgins said. “We have been very impressed with the team members we have added at our plant and the pro-business attitude of the community.”

The entrepreneurial spirit displayed by Higgins and his company is welcomed by Simpson County officials like Judge-Executive Mason Barnes.

“Higgins is becoming a major employer and entrepreneur in southcentral Kentucky,” Barnes said in a news release. “We are very fortunate that he continues to develop projects in Simpson County.”

Bluegrass Supply Chain, which has its headquarters on Scotty’s Way in Bowling Green, is a sister company to another fast-growing enterprise.

The Bluegrass Dedicated trucking company is undergoing an expansion of its own, announcing last year plans to invest $3 million to purchase 25 new tractor-trailers and add to its current fleet of 72 trucks.

“There has been a tremendous influx of new businesses coming to Bowling Green, and a lot of them need trucking to support their operations,” said Rodney Smith, director of business development for Bluegrass Dedicated. “There’s a big capacity gap between what businesses need and what trucking companies are able to provide. We’re trying to fill that.”

While Bluegrass Supply Chain’s growth has been impressive in recent years, Higgins said he isn’t looking to expand too rapidly.

“We’re trying to focus on being more of a local and regional carrier instead of a national company,” he said.

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.