Willis Shaw, Trucking Pioneer, Dies at 95

Arkansas Business Hall of Fame member Willis Shaw, a pillar of the Northwest Arkansas business community and founder of the Willis Shaw Express Inc. trucking company in Elm Springs, died April 20 at Circle of Life Hospice in Springdale. He was 95.

WSE, regarded in its prime as one of the nation’s most successful specialized truckload carriers, began in 1938 as Willis Shaw Produce.

According to his obituary, Shaw sold the company in the early 1970s to Del Monte Corp., and he worked as vice president of Distribution Systems Inc., Del Monte’s transportation holding company.

Shaw later participated with a family and employee group, Shaw Investors, to repurchase WSE in 1983. Four years later the company was acquired by Comcar Industries of Florida.

Before starting WSE, Shaw was active in the poultry and produce business of the area, partnering in Kever and Shaw Feeds to operate a feed mill, hatchery and poultry farms.

Shaw, inducted in the state business hall of fame in 2009, was a pioneer in the development of long-haul transportation of live poultry. After he entered the refrigerated transportation business, he introduced several trucking innovations that positively affected the growth of that industry.

Shaw was instrumental in the development of Beaver Lake and Willis Shaw Elementary School of Springdale was named in his honor in 2007.

A funeral service through Sisco Funeral Chapel Inc. of Springdale was held April 25 at the Springdale First United Methodist Church.