The company, led by Jerry Kocan, originally started out with two stores in Dothan and Montgomery, Ala. Over the past twenty years, it has grown from 50 to nearly 250 employees who work at seven location in Alabama, Georgia and Florida.
“Feb. 20, 2000 was my first day on the job at what was then Freightliner of Southern Alabama,” Kocan says. “My first day was spent in Dothan and it was an eye-opening experience. I was switching brands (Volvo to Freightliner), my home base (Atlanta to Dothan) with a set of people I did not know nor share any experiences. But I was not going to let my wife and young daughters down.”
He did not. Under Kocan’s leadership, Four Star Freightliner has become one of the Southeast’s leading medium- and heavy-duty truck dealers, having invested millions of dollars in facilities to provide better access and amenities for its customers.
The company also has an active philanthropic focus. Thousands of dollars are donated every year to charitable organizations serving communities where Four Star Freightliner has a location. The trucking industry also has recognized Kocan and its company through numerous awards including winning the 2018 Successful Dealer Award and a finalist for the American Truck Dealers (ATD) Truck Dealer of Year award.
“I am so very proud to have made it 20 years and to have the team of people that have shaped this company’s past, present and future,” Kocan says. “It will be a tad bit overwhelming for me to celebrate 20 years and I could not have done with and for better people.”
Four Star Freightliner also recently has invested heavily in training, educating and developing its management team and hopes those efforts will produce strong leaders for the next 20 years. Meanwhile, the company also continues to identify, educate, train and develop Four Star Freightliner’s future leaders.
