Kenworth dealers have invested nearly $500 million in new and relocated facilities in the past five years, according to Jason Skoog, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing.
“That is reflected in a 20 percent growth rate for dealership locations,” he said. “We now offer over 360 locations in the United States and Canada, and nearly 75 percent of those locations are full-service stores.”
Skoog said the growth is in response to the change in the industry, and to be ready for future needs of customers.
“With a strong truck market over the past few years, along with improving retail market share, there are more Kenworth trucks on the road than ever before,” he said. “And, as trucks become more complex and computer-based, dealers become an integral part for service. Downtime is no longer an option in our industry. Uptime is what it’s all about, which is also driving us to expand to be closer to where our customers need us. The partnership between customers and Kenworth dealers will only become stronger. Our dealers are there for full vehicle support, from cradle to grave. They’re the backbone.”
Skoog offered some examples of recent dealer expansion. “Wisconsin Kenworth recently broke ground on a 75,700-square-foot facility just outside Madison. They’ll include Kenworth PremierCare ExpressLane bays for 2-hour diagnostics and estimates, which is part of new Kenworth’s PremierCare Gold Certified program that we’ve just announced,” he said. “What’s more they’re building a specially equipped area to service CNG powered units.”
“This new state-of-the-art facility will ensure that we are able to meet the technological demands of an ever-evolving industry and allow our dedicated employees to continue to deliver Kenworth quality service to new and existing customers," said Jim Moeller, CEO of CSM Companies, which is the parent company of Wisconsin Kenworth. “We’re growing and building along with other Kenworth dealers throughout the country.”
MHC Kenworth has been rapidly expanding its dealership network, growing from 37 locations in 2010 to 67 locations in 2015. This year alone, the dealership group added 10 new locations.
“We are in constant pursuit to support customers with convenient locations and service points,” said Tim Murphy, CEO of MHC Kenworth. “This year MHC expanded into its 16th state and opened its 67th location.”
According to Murphy, all MHC dealerships locations are open extended hours, with 21 open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. “MHC continues to invest in its dealerships by renovating and building new, state-of-the-art facilities,” added Murphy. “This is to provide customers access to more services and amenities, while decreasing the time their trucks are off the road.”
In Alberta, Edmonton Kenworth made a major investment on a 16-acre parcel in Leduc near the Edmonton International Airport. Just opened, it features an 111,500-square-foot main building with an indoor showroom large enough for customers to view up to four Kenworth trucks out of the elements. The main building also offers several specialty bays to provide service for fabrication, component rebuild and liquefied natural gas-powered commercial vehicles, plus four triage bays to provide customers rapid diagnostic reports.
Here are the 25 dealerships that have invested more than $1 million in facility improvements in 2015 - Bayview Kenworth - Woodstock, New Brunswick; Central Illinois Trucks - Green Oaks, Ill.; Custom Truck Sales - Swift Current, Saskatchewan; Edmonton Kenworth - Leduc, Alberta; Inland Kenworth - Phoenix; Kenworth Northeast Group - Brockton, Mass.; Kenworth of Cincinnati - Cincinnati, Ohio; Kenworth of Pennsylvania - York, Pa.; Kenworth of South Florida - Fort Myers, Fla.; Kenworth of South Louisiana - Bossier City, La.; Kenworth Quebec - Saint-Georges, Quebec; Kenworth Sales Company - Salina, Utah; Kenworth Toronto - Kitchener, Ontario; MHC Kenworth dealerships in Denver, Colo.; Macon, Ga.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Kansas City, Mo.; Kingsport, Tenn.; and South Fort Worth, Texas; New England Kenworth - Southern Maine; Performance Kenworth - Beaumont, Texas; Truck Enterprises - Hagerstown, Md.; Wichita Kenworth - Dodge City, Kansas; Wisconsin Kenworth - Madison, Wis.; and Worldwide Equipment - Prestonsburg, Ky.