Auxiliary Power Dynamics, manufacturers of the Willis Auxiliary Power Unit, has authorized three new service and installation centers in Colorado, Ohio and Iowa. The new centers join a network of independent truck service shops across the United States and Canada where customers can get their Willis APUs installed and serviced. The centers are Linden Engineering Inc., located at 1237 Rogers St. in Golden, Colo.; Armstrong Truck and Trailer, located at 2700 Gilchrist Road in Akron, Ohio; and Peterbilt of Council Bluffs, located at 2546 29th Ave. in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
“We’re pleased to be able to add these new locations in order to provide our customers greater flexibility in scheduling installations and maintenance of their Willis APUs,” says Samy Karuppana, president and chief executive officer of Auxiliary Power Dynamics. “As our company continues to grow and sell more of the popular Willis APUs, we’re continually looking at new opportunities to add locations.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from truck service centers who would like to join our company’s network of authorized service and installation centers,” Karuppana says. “We’re very careful about choosing which centers to add to our network. Since the Willis APU is fully integrated into the truck, installation requires the work of knowledgeable technicians. We want our customers to feel confident that their APUs will be handled by professionals who know how to install and service their equipment and will stand by their work.”
Will Watson, vice president of sales and marketing for Auxiliary Power Dynamics, says many of the truck service centers that become authorized Willis APU service centers are operated by truck dealers. “They understand the importance of offering their customers exceptional after-the-sale service,” Watson says. “While the process to become an authorized installation and service center requires a considerable investment of time and money, they see the opportunities and the value the Willis APU can offer not only to their businesses, but also to their customers.”
In the last eight months, sales of the Willis APU have increased by more than 400 percent. “It’s hard for many dealers and truck service center managers to pass up that kind of success,” Watson says. “That’s one reason why we recently relocated our headquarters and assembly facility to a larger building in Sparks, Nevada. The larger facility allows us to install and service more Willis APUs while keeping up with the high demand for units in the United States and Canada.”
The Willis APU is designed to eliminate main-engine idling by providing auxiliary power as soon as the truck is parked. Auxiliary Power Dynamics says the Willis APU distinguishes itself from other APUs by delivering up to 33,000 BTU (British thermal units) of cooling capacity and 25,000 BTUs of heating capacity. Its three-cylinder, 18-hp Kubota engine makes it quiet, powerful and inexpensive to maintain, according to the company, and at 350 pounds, it’s also one of the lowest-weight APUs on the market.
