Dealership News
JX Truck center recently christened a new full-service dealership in Kronenwetter, Wis., carrying Peterbilt, Volvo and PacLease brands. The company also announced the opening of a new full-service Peterbilt dealership in Lansing, Ill. Both are part of JX Enterprises’ network of 16 dealerships.Rush Enterprises announces its subsidiaries have acquired certain assets of MVI Group, which operates commercial truck and bus dealerships in Ohio under the names of Miami Valley International, Center City International, CCI North Coast and Buckeye Truck Centers. According to Rush, the acquisition includes International, IC Bus, Isuzu and Idealease franchises and locations in Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Findlay and Lima, Ohio.
Campbell Holdings, LLC, the parent company of Campbell Supply Company and Campbell Freightliner, announces they will expand their operation with a new Jamesburg, N.J-based facility.
TruckPro acquires Carolina Rim & Wheel
TruckPro, LLC has completed the purchase of Carolina Rim & Wheel. The acquisition was completed Dec. 14, 2012, and includes Carolina Rim & Wheel’s five stores located in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Carolina Rim & Wheel was founded in Charlotte in 1926. TruckPro says this acquisition gives the company a strong foothold in the Carolina and Georgia markets. The addition of Carolina Rim & Wheel to the TruckPro family brings the number of store operations across the United States to 65, the company says.
Tom Stewart, president of Carolina Rim & Wheel, will assume an executive role with TruckPro, the company says, and a majority of Carolina Rim & Wheel associates will maintain their roles in the TruckPro network.
Fleet Brake adds location in Ontario
Fleet Brake has announced plans for a new parts distribution center in Mississauga, Ontario.
When at full capacity, Fleet Brake says the 50,000-sq.-ft. facility will employ up to 50 people and is expected to be operational this month. The new facility will be an important link in the Fleet Brake parts distribution network, the company says, and will improve its capability to better serve our customers in the Greater Toronto Area.
“This investment in a key market for Fleet Brake is the next step in the multiyear expansion of our Canadian parts distribution network. We are focused on ensuring our customers’ success through a high-velocity network that delivers the industry’s best parts availability,” says John Bzeta, president.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Preliminary data from ACT Research shows orders for Class 8 trucks in November fell to 20,200. That’s a 15 percent drop from October, which saw the highest number of truck orders year to date.
The American Trucking Associations’ For-Hire Truck Tonnage Index rallied from a 3.7 percent drop in October with a 3.7 percent gain in November.
FTR’s Trucking Conditions Index for November, as reported in the January 2013 Trucking Update, rose almost two full points to a reading of 9.7.
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
KarnesNavistar announces Samuel J. Merksamer has been appointed to the company’s board of directors, and Dennis Mooney has been appointed group vice president, global product development.
The Paccar Board of Directors has elected Robert J. Christensen to the position of chief financial officer and executive vice president.
DattMERA has elected Jerry Boles, CEO, Boles Parts Supply Inc., Jack Bowser, CEO, Rebuilders Automotive Supply Co. Inc. and Woody Knopf, CEO, Knopf Automotive, LLC, to its board of directors.
Eaton Corporation announces two organizational changes. John Beering has been named senior vice president and general manager – Commercial Vehicle Transmission business. Dave Karnes has been named director – Roadranger field sales and marketing North American Truck.
HDA Truck Pride has added Jeff Sandt to its product management team.
PetersMarx Group Advisors has added Ray Datt as vice president.
Accuride Corporation and Cetus Capital announce Robert E. Davis of Cetus Capital has been added to Accuride’s Board of Directors.
Lisa Jackson, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, has stepped down after four years with the agency.
PlankMidwest Wheel announces staffing changes. Dave Reiff has retired as the company’s branch manager in Sioux City. He has been replaced by Andy Barkley. Todd Scheitler also has been promoted to territory manager.
Double Coin Tires has added Pete Salvan as southwest regional sales manager.
FleetPride has appointed Kevin A. Peters as chief executive officer, and Jeff Liaw as chief financial officer.
Webb Wheel has appointed Chad Plank as its executive vice president of sales and marketing, and hired Jim LeClaire as an account executive – fleet accounts.
FleetPride acquires six California branches
FleetPride, Inc. has acquired the assets of Drake Supply Company. Drake services Southern California with six locations, which bring the total number of FleetPride locations to 28 in the state.
“This acquisition expands FleetPride’s reach into key markets of Southern California including rail yards, Port of Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire,” says Lee Stockseth, FleetPride president and COO. “We expect to continue to improve our customer service through the integration of Drake’s talented organization, branch locations, and product focus.”
Drake Supply Company was founded in 1948 in San Leandro, Calif. as the Glen C. Drake Company. Tye Plowman purchased the Drake Company in 1990, which is now known as Drake Supply Company. Plowman will stay on with FleetPride in a management role.
“Tye grew Drake Supply from one to six locations. His entire heavy-duty career has been in this market,” Stockseth says. “He has built an organization that is focused on customer service in a market with some very unique logistics issues.”
Meritor consolidating North American reman operations
The company says it expects to transfer production operations from its remanufacturing plant in Mississauga, Ontario by March 31, 2013 while moving its Canadian customer service and support to its Brampton, Ontario facility.
“We believe this investment will help us improve efficiency while better serving our customers in today’s competitive landscape,” says Doug Wolma, general manager, Global Aftermarket Operations. “At the same time, this move will strengthen our global remanufacturing footprint.”
As a result of these actions, Meritor says it plans to invest approximately $1.4 million in its Plainfield facility while creating approximately 82 new jobs during 2012 and 2013.
HDA Truck Pride expands St. Louis warehouse
HDA Truck Pride announces the expansion of its master warehouse to a new, larger facility in the metropolitan St Louis area.
According to HDA Truck Pride, this expansion supports its plan to insure availability of all critical products and services to the entire membership. The facility also will house the corporate offices, combining formerly separate operations and improving customer service to the members, the company says.
“The larger, modernized facility will allow us to expand our master warehouse offering immediately. And while our goal is to insure the availability of all critical products, we also have plans for ancillary items and complimentary product categories. We are excited to embark on this new venture and are confident in the growth potential that the master warehouse brings to the HDA Truck Pride network,” says Bill Burns, COO.
“Combining the corporate offices into the new facility was an added win which allows for enhanced customer service with streamlined communication and immediate response to our members.”
VIPAR has record turnout at annual conference
A record number of stockholders and suppliers participated in the 2012 VIPAR Heavy Duty Annual Business Conference from Oct. 21-26, 2012 in Marco Island, Fla.
According to VIPAR, more than 90 percent of its stockholders/distributors from the U.S., Canada and Mexico attended the event, which included educational seminars, a tradeshow, an annual stockholder meeting and one-on-one meetings with over 110 supplier partners.
“With the heavy-duty aftermarket continuing to show positive signs, those who attended our conference were upbeat about the marketplace moving forward,” says Steve Crowley, president and CEO, VIPAR Heavy Duty. “As a result they are making aggressive plans to expand business, which is good news for everyone in the heavy-duty market.”
VIPAR Heavy Duty’s 2013 Annual Business Conference will be held Oct. 20-25, 2013 at the Marco Island Marriott Resort in Marco Island, Fla.
