Peterbilt Truck Centers – with locations in Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark.; Shreveport, La.; and Jackson and Meridian, Miss. – recently acquired three additional locations from Four Rivers Group. The new locations are in Savannah, Ga.; Florence, S.C.; and Dunn, N.C.
“It is just a great opportunity for us,” says Dave Henderson, general manager. “Now we have dealerships from North Carolina all the way to Texas. This acquisition also gives us a north-south corridor. I -95 runs through Savannah, Florence and Dunn. The acquisition gives us some exposure and some coverage on the East Coast that we did not have previously.”
All three new locations are full-service parts, sales and service facilities. In addition, the Dunn location has a body shop. In total, the locations cover a 45,000-square-mile territory in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“We are just getting the word out about new ownership,” Henderson says. “We have got to staff them properly and get product back in that market. I don’t have to tell you trucking has been pretty tough the last few years, and those three markets really suffered. It is a matter of us getting back up there and preaching a new gospel and getting the word out that there is new ownership. Then we need to tie it into our previous locations. There is some synergy in having the locations in the other four states as well.
“Our current employees are excited,” he continues. “We have gone from one location back in 1992 now to nine. Most of our employees in the Jackson store have been with me for those full 18 years, and they have been excited to see us grow. It gives them a wider customer base to work with as far as parts and service.”
As for the new locations, “I think those employees are very excited to have some new ownership, some new capital and a new philosophy of doing business,” Henderson says.
