Navistar has announced the opening of its 100th storefront location by Kyrish Truck Center in Willis, Texas for its Fleetrite all-makes and models aftermarket truck and bus parts brand. With this milestone, Navistar has doubled its original goal of opening 50 Fleetrite locations by 2025.
“Our goal for Fleetrite is to continue to expand our reach with additional product lines and store locations to increase the Fleetrite footprint in North America and connect with more customers,” says Mark Reiter, vice president, Parts. “Kyrish Truck Centers, and all our dealers who have opened Fleetrite locations, make these goals possible. We also appreciate Kyrish whose investment in new, standalone facilities, like this site in Willis, Texas, puts parts in the hands of our dealers, fleet managers, and service managers thereby reducing downtime for our customers. We see true value in the Fleetrite brand and look forward to working with Kyrish, and all our dealers, to open additional facilities.”
Fleetrite currently offers more than 100 product lines with 18,000 parts, consistently increasing its offerings and inventory for customers. For over 50 years, Fleetrite stores have offered aftermarket quality approved parts which are competitively priced and backed by a one-year nationwide parts and labor warranty, the company says.
Kyrish Truck Centers now operates four Fleetrite locations across Texas. Through its Fleetrite stores, Kyrish enables greater access to parts for customers across the state.
“We are delighted to be opening our newest Fleetrite store in Willis, Texas,” says Jeff Kyrish, CEO, Kyrish Truck Centers. “We believe that Fleetrite is an integral part of our long-term parts strategy, targeting customers who traditionally shy away from an OEM buying opportunity and helping our customers increase uptime. These stores have allowed us to reach more customers quicker and provide top-quality all-makes parts that get trucks back on the road.”
[RELATED: Kyrish sells assets to RWC International]
In celebration of the new store in Willis, Kyrish Truck Center hosted a grand opening on Aug. 3, and invited customers, community, and company leaders. Brad Smith, shop foreman with the Willis Independent School District, participated in the event after recently connecting with the store’s personnel. Smith oversees a fleet that includes 97 IC Bus school buses. The district is experiencing significant growth, adding between 1,500 and 1,800 new students in the coming year. Smith anticipates that about half will require school bus transportation, requiring him to precisely maintain his fleet and prevent downtime. He welcomes the opening of a new Fleetrite store across the street from his bus depot, Navistar says.
“From what I can tell looking around, the store will have a lot of stock,” says Smith. “That really helps my school district because we’re growing so fast. With the store here, I can get parts so much quicker and not have to go get a spare bus to put on the road. It’s going to be great. It will keep my fleet running a lot more efficiently.”
In recent years, recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified school bus drivers challenged the transportation and education industries. With so many students and their families relying on bus drivers for safe, reliable transportation to and from school, Smith believes the Fleetrite store in Willis, its parts availability, and in-house, local experts to assist with service challenges, will enhance the operation of his fleet, prevent disruptions, and satisfy his drivers, the company says.
“Bus drivers don’t like to drive a bus that isn’t theirs,” says Smith. “If I can keep them in their bus, the whole year, that keeps them working. That makes them come to work.”
