MHC Kenworth will officially unveil its second-largest, and most environmentally friendly, dealership among its network on Thursday, May 26. For more than two decades, MHC has had a presence in the Oklahoma City area, and the need to expand was determined. Groundbreaking on the new dealership located at the southwest corner of Interstate 40 and Rockwell Avenue began in December 2009 with a list of green initiatives and architectural advances.
“We are almost tripling our footprint,” says Dave Douglas, Murphy-Hoffman Co. vice president. “This state-of-the-art building is a tribute to all of our employees’ hard work and dedication in servicing our customers. Our employees are ecstatic about this new building and its improved capabilities. We are confident our customers will be very pleased with our increased productivity and continued outstanding seven-day 24-hour service schedule.”
When designing the building, MHC utilized green technology to help in heating and cooling the new facility. Before the building began, almost 70 wells were drilled below the foundation. Through geothermal technology, water is pumped in and out of these wells, and is for the sole source of heating and cooling in the parts showroom and offices. An additional heat source for the building is derived from the engine oil collected when the trucks are in for preventive maintenance service. The oil is stored and then recycled to heat the 44 body shop and service bays and the 31,030-square-foot parts warehouse.
In addition, energy0saving technology was used in the building. To reduce the amount of electricity consumed, motion detectors have been installed throughout a majority of the building that triggers the lights to turn on only when someone is in the room. In addition, translucent hollow-core overhead doors were installed in both the body and service departments to allow natural light into the building without affecting the temperature of the service bays. To further reduce energy consumption, the lights in the line and body shop are controlled by photocells and turn on only when there is insufficient lighting.
“We are thrilled with the outcome of the new facility and are proud that MHC is using sustainable technology to decrease our carbon footprint,” says Tim Murphy, Murphy-Hoffman Co. president. “We are looking forward to welcoming our customers into our new dealership and making them feel at home and continue the award-winning service we have been providing Oklahoma over the last two decades.”
