The Finger Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its June Business After Hours Networking Mixer on Wednesday, June 10, at the corporate headquarters of Wadhams Enterprises, Inc. at 369 Bostwick Road.
The event offered Chamber members a look at the family-owned transportation company’s more than 75-year history. Wadhams Enterprises provides truckload, less-than-truckload (LTL), brokerage, milk hauling, and bulk petroleum delivery services across the Northeast and beyond.
Founded in 1949 by Earl T. “Red” Wadhams, the company began with a single 1939 International truck, hauling vegetables and collecting milk from local dairy farms. The business expanded from traditional can milk routes into bulk tank transportation, adding agricultural products, feed, fuel, asphalt, cement, and general freight to its operations.
In the 1980s, the Wadhams family launched RIST Transport, named after Red’s sons, Rick and Steve. RIST Transport has grown into a major trucking and logistics provider serving the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest, specializing in LTL shipping, truckload transportation, freight brokerage, and warehousing.
Today, Wadhams Enterprises employs more than 900 people, operates 27 offices, and manages a fleet of more than 530 trucks. The company operates through three primary divisions: Earl T. Wadhams, Inc., which specializes in food-grade bulk milk hauling; RIST Transport, Ltd., which provides truckload, LTL, freight brokerage, and warehousing services; and ARG Trucking Corp., which transports bulk petroleum products throughout the region.
Co-owner Rick Wadhams led attendees on a tour of the company’s headquarters, which opened in 1999 and includes corporate offices, executive suites, and a training facility. The tour was followed by a slideshow presentation, refreshments, and a networking session. During his presentation, Wadhams discussed the company’s growth from a single milk truck into a regional logistics operation, emphasizing the values of hard work, customer service, family, and community that have guided the business for more than seven decades.
Finger Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce President Miranda Odell recognized Wadhams Enterprises for its support of local and regional chambers of commerce and its economic impact throughout the Finger Lakes.
The Chamber’s next Business After Hours Mixer is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hampton Inn & Seasons on Keuka Lake, 110 Mace Street in Penn Yan. Reservations are required. Admission is $10 for Chamber members and $20 for non-members, while 2026 Business After Hours Season Pass holders receive complimentary admission.
Business After Hours mixers are held on the second Wednesday of each month from 4 to 6 p.m., unless otherwise noted. The events are open to the public, and hosting opportunities are reserved for qualified Chamber members who have been customers for at least two years. The Chamber’s 2026 Business After Hours program is supported by its Annual Partners: Canandaigua National Bank, Casella Waste Systems Inc., Community Broadband Networks, Emerson Commercial Cleaning, ESL Federal Credit Union, Fairfield by Marriott, Finger Lakes Partners Insurance, Four Winds Chimney, Guardian Glass, Halco Home Solutions, HEP Sales & North Main Lumber, Lakeside Roofing & Siding Materials Inc., Massa Construction, N-Hance of the Finger Lakes, Reliant Credit Union, and Waterloo Container.
