GEISMAR - Highway Transport, a producer of tanker trucks used to move chemicals across the country, has opened up its flagship service center in south Louisiana.

The company announced Wednesday that its new $12.5 million location will create about 150 new jobs in the area over time, including drivers, mechanics and office staff. It's Highway Transport's 14th service center in the country and the culmination of a year-long project.

Geismar will serve as a "central hub" for the company's tanker trucks as they move chemicals across America. The facility will be able to hold 150 of the company's more than 400 trucks at any given time.