Having an open door policy is a common feature of strong businesses. But few take the concept as seriously as Kenworth of Pennsylvania, where doors aren’t just open for employees to come in, but because leadership is always coming out.
“When we visit our dealerships, we pay attention to everyone. We check on the people back in the warehouse, the guys in the shop, up front, and we do it with conviction,” says Frank Miller, executive vice president. “We’re not just blowing smoke. We care about them; we ask about their families.”
As a third-generation family business, that familial focus is to be expected. But Miller says the extent to which Kenworth of Pennsylvania commits to it is truly the company’s secret sauce. When an employee joins the nine-location dealer group, he says the company’s goal is for them to never work anywhere else.
“I’m an employee here and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” says Miller, a 36-year company veteran.
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“We have employees who have been here for all three generations and I think that says something,” adds Dealer Principal Tim Mitchell, who followed in the footsteps of his father Gary and grandfather Earle in leading the business.
Miller and Mitchell believe employee loyalty and longevity aids the company in myriad ways. Associates are comfortable and confident in their roles and have autonomy to make decisions to benefit customers. Those same customers therefore have strong, established relationships with dealer employees — creating bonds that extend beyond transactional acquaintances to partners and true friends.
“We’ve created a great environment and people gravitate to that,” says Director of Truck Sales Chad Goodsell.
That environment enables Kenworth of Pennsylvania to succeed in a market area dense with competitors and, in 2026, has helped it be named a first-time finalist for the Successful Dealer Award.
Miller describes the company’s mantra as “do the right thing for customers” and says associates across Kenworth of Pennsylvania are trained and encouraged to always put themselves in a customer’s shoes. Miller says that helps the company’s workforce — nearly 400 strong — remain focused on finding solutions that drive uptime and exceed customer expectations.
“We run a very successful dealership, but that’s not how we measure ourselves,” he says. “We pay more attention to our Google reviews than our financial statements a lot of the times.”
And that drive toward customer satisfaction is found everywhere within the business.
Decision making is guided by long-term relationships and knowing what each customer needs. Miller says the trucking industry is too challenging for one-size-fits-all answers and Kenworth of Pennsylvania takes pride in a culture that enables it to excel in delivering custom solutions for customer needs.
“We make problems go away very quickly,” he says. “Once customers get a taste of what we have to offer, we typically don’t lose them.”
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Providing that level of service takes investment, which the company gladly makes.
Beyond OEM training requirements, Kenworth of Pennsylvania subscribes to third-party training resources and holds training events to keep associates up to date on new equipment and technology. The business also leverages a continuous improvement initiative to unearth actionable ideas to strengthen the operation and, in 2025, launched a customer service excellence program that rewards associates for superior performance.
It’s a culture employees take seriously, says Teague Miller, parts operations manager.
“Taking care of the customer is our top priority. We do not give ‘no’ as an answer,” he says.
“We deliver on what we say we’re going to do,” says Jason Mortelliti, director of marketing and strategic development.
“Happy employees make happy customers,” adds Tony Wiser, service department director. “We’re small enough to care and big enough to make a difference.”
And that focus on making a difference doesn’t just mean in the service bay, or when delivering a truck. Kenworth of Pennsylvania wants its customers, and communities, to be wowed.
Goodsell says the hand-written notes he sends customers thanking them for their business is a good example of that. As is the foundation the company runs named for Earle Mitchell that provides financial support for charitable causes and community events near and dear to the hearts of employees and customers, such as Toys for Tots, Special Olympics, Make a Wish, local hospital cancer centers and more.
“A few years ago Tim’s mom called me,” remembers CFO Summer Hammer. “There was an apartment building in our neighborhood that was not going to have Christmas gifts because Toys for Tots did not get enough donations that year. And she asked if I could help her get some toys for this neighborhood.
“I went out to our employees and all of our stores and we got so many donations that we provided Christmas for that group and then also donated [gifts] to other organizations.”
“It’s the little things,” adds Frank Miller. “If someone comes to the counter and they have a child with them, they’ll almost always walk out with a little toy truck. And maybe that sounds silly, but I think we’re doing that stuff for the right reasons. It’s never a bad thing to see a little kid smile.”
The Successful Dealer Award is sponsored by Automann, Interstate Billing Service, National Truck Protection and Premium 2000 and Procede Software. The 2026 Successful Dealer Award will be presented Oct. 6, at a private awards banquet in Nashville.
