Truck Centers, Inc. - Small Town Values Continue to Deliver Big Rewards After 40 Years

Online, April 30, 2010 (Newswire.com) - TROY, IL (April 30, 2010) - Truck Centers, Inc., a prominent family-owned dealer group with seven locations, is proud to announce their 40th anniversary in the heavy truck industry. Truck Centers is based in Troy, IL, and represents various Daimler Trucks of North America (DTNA) brands including Freightliner and Western Star as well as Detroit Diesel engines in sales, parts and service.

Since its modest beginnings in Highland, IL, as Highland White Autocar, Truck Centers has continued to expand over the last four decades to include five full-service dealerships in Troy, IL; St. Louis, MO; Mt. Vernon, IL; Springfield, IL; and Morton, IL, plus two additional locations in St. Peters, MO, and Decatur, IL. Most of the company's expansion has occurred under the direction of current Chairman and CEO, Milton John Hopkins IV, who succeeded his father, Milton John Hopkins III, in the elder Hopkins' initial venture.

"I am proud to have watched Truck Centers, Inc. flourish from Highland White Autocar into the amazing company that it is today," recalled CEO, Milton John Hopkins IV. "The small company of 15 dedicated employees in 1970 laid the cornerstones of our corporate values and commitment to customer service that now extends to seven dealerships and over 350 employees. It is an honor to work alongside great people as we continue to build valuable relationships with customers by delivering premium products and services."

In 1984, Truck Centers moved to Troy, IL, for direct frontage on I-55/I-70 at the I-270 interchange to better serve our growing customer base. After continued expansion, the company simply outgrew the original building and constructed a new 161,000 sq. ft. facility in 2000 for corporate offices, parts, sales, and service while the body shop and emergency services' departments remained in the original building. Simultaneously, a state-of-the-art Training Center was also built on the Troy campus. The 24,000 sq. ft. Training Center is recognized as one of DTNA's best dealer-owned training facilities and managed by two fully-certified instructors that offer classroom and hands-on training for Truck Centers' employees as well as technicians from other dealerships and customer fleets.

While Truck Centers has grown exponentially over the last 40 years, the dedication to superior customer service and products remains as strong as in the early days and is an integral component to the company's continued success and strong relationships with customers, manufacturers, related industries, and the local communities that they serve. This kindred spirit and traditional values keep morale and employee satisfaction exceptionally high. The company is proud of their heritage as numerous employees are distinguished with 20+ years of service and over half of the team has a decade of service to their credit.

"Truck Centers, Inc. is fortunate to represent the broad spectrum of Daimler Trucks of North America brands but I believe that our best resources are actually the people within Truck Centers," added Hopkins. "Our team members are what helps distinguish us because of their dedication to the products that we represent and passion for helping our customers. Forty years of handshakes, personal commitments, and delivery is what has allowed for this milestone celebration."

The Hopkins family's legacy will continue to offer many more milestones and ensure that the basis for Truck Centers' success will remain potent for years to come. Katie Hopkins, Corporate Vice President, and Justin Hopkins mark the third generation of leadership as General Managers of dealership locations in St. Louis and Springfield respectively. Both are also firmly committed to weaving traditional values and evolving technology to maintain Truck Centers, Inc.'s position as an industry pioneer.