OGDEN, Utah -- Flying J Inc. and Shell Canada Ltd. said that they are opening their first cobranded travel plaza in western Canada on Tuesday, June 7, 2005. The travel plaza site is located on 20 acres just east of Edmonton, Alberta, in Sherwood Park on the Yellowhead Highway, a major trans-Canada transportation route for both commercial and leisure travel.
This venture builds on an established business relationship between Shell and Flying J. Shell Canada has been the official fuel supplier to Flying J in Canada since 1998. In 2003, Calgary, Alberta-based [image-nocss] Shell Canada, TCH (a company owned by Ogden, Utah-based Flying J) and Saint John, New Brunswick-based Irving Oil launched a new fleet fuelling card called FP Solutions, a one-card solution for fuel and road transport services across North America.
A second cobranded site is under development in Calgary, on Barlow Trail S.E., scheduled to open in December 2005. Previous Flying J openings have led to the creation of a road transportation hub, increasing business for all players in proximity to the travel plaza.
The Sherwood Park facility is the fourth Flying J Travel Plaza to open in Canada for a network total of 169 travel plazas and fuel stops located along major highways in 41 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. The facilities are open 24 hours a day.
The new plaza employs 110 people; has a full-service Country Market Restaurant & Buffet, seating 150 guests and offering casual dining, a fast food court as well as an all-you-can-eat' buffet. The Country Market Store & More attracts customers with a variety of merchandise including limited edition artwork, handmade quilts and stained glass creations.
A theater-style drivers' lounge with large-screen TV and interactive game room provides entertainment for professional drivers. Private phone booths plus well-appointed laundry facilities allow drivers to look after business and individual needs. Personal access codes entered into electronic keypads at each of the nine shower doors permit secure, easy entry into shower rooms.
Strategically placed kiosks provide customers with fax and copy services, trip routing and mileage reports, equipment posting and load matching capabilities plus floral delivery and callboard service promoting local businesses. Along with ATMs and postal services, Flying J provides webstations for drivers to send and receive email, make online purchases or explore the Internet. Calibrated J-Scales are also available for drivers who need guaranteed weight of their freight and equipment. The travel plaza's large, paved parking lots will accommodate 140 tractor/trailers.
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