Here - Peach State Truck Centers

Transcription

Here - Peach State Truck Centers
PSTCnews
A PUBLICATION FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF PEACH STATE TRUCK CENTERS
Summer 2015
Norcross Store Getting a Great New Look!
Page 15
Birmingham is Cookin’ Again!
See the full story in the customer focus section , Page 13
A fond farewell to a great employee
Read Gary Conleay’s tribute to Bob Hogan, Page 3
You have got to check this out!
Great new benefit for PSTC employees, Page 5
Put On Your Walking Shoes!
It’s time for the WINSHIP 5K, Page 8
www.peachstatetrucks.com
SERVICE
-
SOLUTIONS
1
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SUCCESS
PSTC news | Summer 2015
Perspectives
"What is Left When Integrity is Lost?"
I
"
n the spring issue of PSTCnews, in my Perspectives article, I wrote about Passion and its importance in how Peach State runs as a business, highlighting
some particularly passionate individuals who do great things for this company
on a daily basis. In keeping with this theme I want to discuss Integrity, another
crucial characteristic that is included in the Peach State Mission Statement. Here‘s
how we define Integrity as it relates to our day-to-day operations:
¨ We deliver what we promise
¨ We lead by example in what we expect and demand from others.
President
Rick Reynolds
PSTCnews
Volume 1 NO. 5 Summer 2015
PSTC NEWS IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE MARKETING AND
HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENTS OF PEACH STATE TRUCK
CENTERS 6535 CRESCENT DRIVE,
NORCROSS, GA 30071
If you wish to submit articles, information of interest or suggestions,
please send them to:
[email protected]
¨ We adhere to generally accepted codes of business ethics and professional regulations.
¨ Truth and honesty will never be compromised.
Having your customers trust you is huge in this business. Much of the work that we
do is for repeat customers, and oftentimes a relationship is formed between our employees and their customers. Without integrity this could never happen, since customers would choose to do business with another company they could trust to deliver what was promised. It doesn‘t matter how much skill or energy you put into your
job, without integrity relationships can‘t be fostered and grown into continued sales.
To help us in our constant quest to strengthen integrity we recently hired Mark Seabolt in the new position of Director of Security. Mark has ten years‘ experience with
the Forsyth County Sheriff‘s Office, serving as SWAT Operator and Traffic Homicide
Investigator. He was awarded the Medal of Valor by the Georgia Sheriff‘s Association for his efforts during his tenure there.
With Mark on board we can further ensure our customers
that we will deliver what we promise, no matter the obstacle. Recently our company has faced issues of theft at
some of our locations. In the future when these issues
arise, whether from internal or external situations, Peach
State will be equipped to deal with the problem swiftly and
directly, making sure it doesn‘t affect any of our customers
or employees in a negative way. The more secure our locations, the more trustworthy we can be. In closing, I want encourage everyone to think about how we can do
our jobs with the utmost integrity. Doing so is good for our health, our happiness
and, of course, good for business. No matter what the task—whether someone will
notice or not—do it with integrity.
[email protected]
PSTC news | Summer 2015
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www.peachstatetrucks.com
PSTCpeople-A
Special Recognition
A Tribute for a Job Well Done!
By Gary Conleay
A
t the end of August, Bob Hogan is retiring from a 39 year career in
truck selling. He is hanging it up and planning to spend more time
with his bride, Veronica. I have known Bob for over 20 of those
years, and have been working with him for the last eight. Our careers have taken similar paths. He started selling trucks in 1976. I started in
1978. We both started out selling Kenworths, moved to Volvo, and we both
eventually landed with the Freightliner organization. During that time, I have
worked with a lot of people—some good, and some not so good. Most of those
I have worked with have been hardworking and honest people. In such a long
career, though, I have encountered only a few people that I truly admired. Bob
Hogan is one of them.
Bob started his truck selling career in Binghamton, NY in 1976 after he got out
of the Army. There he was working for a guy named Al Hess, whom some of you may know. When Al decided to
move to Atlanta to take a job with General GMC-Kenworth, Bob made the move with him, and the two worked together for many years. After Al left General, Bob moved over to the local Volvo dealer, and stayed there for a few
years. In 2001, Bob joined the sales team at Selectrucks of Atlanta, and has been here ever since. During Bob‘s
time here, he has become a decorated veteran of the Selectrucks network, having earned places in both the Century Club and Presidents Club on several occasions. Among Bob‘s peers, he is known to be a true friend to many,
and one of the few real Gentlemen in this business. To his customers, he is known to be a straight shooter, and a
man of genuine integrity.
Bob has shared his life with his wife Veronica for over 40 years. They have three children and four grandchildren. In
retirement, Bob plans to spend a lot more time with them. We have tried to talk Bob out of it, but he insists that all of
his coupon clipping has paid off, and he is well prepared for retirement.
Bob is a modest man, and made us take a pledge not to make a big deal out of his leaving. So accordingly, we are
going to do our best to honor his wishes. However, it is hard to let such a great guy ride off into the sunset without
some kind of recognition. So Bob, here‘s to you, my friend! May your retirement be all that you hope for, and may
God bless you and your family in the future. You have blessed all of us with your presence .
Is Retirement in Your Near Future?
Getting ready for retirement can be a daunting task. Setting up Medicare, aligning your
retirement accounts, and applying for your social security benefits, can all be a bit
overwhelming. Luckily Peach State Truck Centers‘ employees have help available. If you are preparing to retire,
our benefits broker, The Benefit Company, can provide guidance and assistance in all of these areas. The service
is free and all it takes to get started is a simple phone call to the employee advocates at TBC (800-837-0650) or you
can contact human resources and we will be happy to help you connect with someone that can help. If you are in
need of financial planning TBC can also connect you with fee-for-service financial planners.
Don’t be caught unprepared. If your retirement is approaching start preparing today!
www.peachstatetrucks.com
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PSTC news | Summer 2015
Fo c u s o n L e a d e rs h i p
7 “Secrets” to Clear Communication
I only call these ―secrets‖ because they seem so obvious, yet very few of us really follow them when
communicating with others! The key is asking - and answering - these questions before you start a
conversation or adjusting as you recognize different communication styles.
What is your audience’s preferred mode of communication? How do they like to communicate? Face-to-face, email,
phone, even text? You can often judge this based on the method they use to communicate with you.
When is the best time to communicate to them? People lead extremely busy lives with a lot on their mind, both personal
and professional. Do you know when peak listening is best for them? Again, you can often glean this based on the timeframes
they choose to communicate with you.
How do they want you to communicate to them? Are they blunt, direct and concise? Or, do they like to know all of the details? Miss the mark here and you‘ve already failed. The risk here is your audience will shut down, tune out or become frustrated while totally missing key messages and information.
Is your body language and energy consistent with your message? People take for granted the fact that people listen more
with their eyes and emotions than with their ears! Your body language and energy must be consistent with your message in
order to relay credibility and believability. When it comes to effective communication, words are secondary to how you deliver
them.
Do you validate “communication transference?” This refers to the fact that you need to proactively ensure that your audience actually heard your message. What gives you the confidence they really understood what they heard from your message? Are they nodding in agreement, further engaging you, taking notes, making direct eye contact?
Do you follow up, repeat and/or adjust your message if you are not being heard correctly? Are you tweaking and adapting your communication if you get the ―deer in the headlights‖ look? Don‘t naturally assume that your message is going to be
understood the first time around. Apply the discipline to change your tune, if necessary.
Lastly, realize again, communication is NOT about YOU. It’s about your audience! Focus on what they need to hear, see
and feel around your communication – and how they need to hear it. Following this approach, nine times out of ten you‘ll hit the
communication mark.
My Communication Challenges to You
Effective communication takes practice, knowledge of your audience‘s style and an open awareness to monitor and adjust mid-conversation, as needed. Using the ―Communication Secrets‖ above, I challenge you to
grow and communicate in the following ways:
As an employee: Make it a point to challenge any communication you receive that is not clear to you. It
could be the difference between being perceived only ―half-in‖ versus ―all-in.‖ And isn‘t perception often
stronger than reality? And far more difficult to change?
As an executive: Be as direct as possible to your employees when communicating. Clearly differentiate between suggestions and mandates; clarify goals, roles, deadlines and expectations; keep lines of communication open and two-way. You
do all of these things and your employees – and their performance – will thank you.
Don’t be a Sam or a Sally. Lead with communication that is clear, actionable and understandable by all members of your audience.
About the Author: Rubi Ho, is a strategic and organizational leadership expert, having a background in organizational management, curriculum
design, strategic leadership and executive coaching.
He is author of Many Parts, One Body and Confronting my Elephants, books about leadership and becoming what he
calls, your highest self.
Please email Rubi at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to hear his perspective around
leadership organizational health topics.
Please email Rubi at [email protected] if you have any questions or would like to hear his perspective around
leadership and organizational health topics.
PSTC news | Summer 2015
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www.peachstatetrucks.com
Georgia Auto and Truck Dealers Provide
250,000 Meals
to Local Families This Summer
Leaders of Action Ministries and the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association (GADA) announced
that their joint ―Drive Out Hunger‖ campaign in May raised $125,000, which translates to nearly 250,000 meals for foodinsecure families in Georgia. Peach State Truck Centers contributed over $7000.00
Close to 1 million children in the state lose access to free and reduced-price lunches when school is out for the summer, adding to the burden of parents already struggling with poverty. Georgia new automobile dealers, who are closely connected to
their local communities, aimed to do something to help in 2015. During the month of May, participating dealerships around the
state donated a portion of their sales and repair orders to fill food boxes that contain enough food to feed a family for up to five
days. Action Ministries will distribute the boxes to food pantries and local partners across the state. These partners will then
provide the boxes to families in need in their local areas.
The BenefitHub is a great new FREE benefit for all PSTC employees. It is a one stop shop
for all kinds of discounts on Clothing to Furniture to Travel, Dining and Entertainment. You
can access the BenefitHub by clicking on the Icon on the UltiPro home page or by entering
https://pstcdeals.benefithub.com in your browser‘s address bar. Expect an exciting addition to the site in October when an online shopping site is added. Want more Info, contact Bill Garrett.
McDonough Store Appreciates its Employees
I
n August, the McDonough store, hosted a luncheon in appreciation of all of the hard work that they do. Highlighting their dedication to service and solution
through their ongoing ELITE SUPPORT CERTIFICATION. Miranda McKinney from Daimlers Elite
Support Team was in attendance and along with
Rick Reynolds spoke of the importance of maintaining certification in this program.
www.peachstatetrucks.com
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PSTC news | Summer 2015
Jessica Breasseale, Birmingham
Freightliner, Service Advisor is
pleased to announce the graduation of her daughter, Weslynn
Grace Thomas, from K-4 at Somerville Baptist .
Jeremy Burkett, McDonough
Service Advisor, is proud of
his son who graduated from
Oak Brook Academy Pre-K.
PSTC TEAM
Happy Anniversary
Deana Thompson, SelecTrucks, and her
husband Bill, celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary on June 24th. Congrats!
Congratulations to Farrahlee Betsill,
SelectTrucks, and Kevin Betsill,
Norcross, on celebrating 10 years of
marriage on August 5th
Congratulations on ten years of marriage to Dawn McRae
and her husband Tommy on July 22nd!
Chey McFall’s granddaughter
is having her birthday. Chey
tells it like this…. ―My GORGEOUS granddaughter, Lillian
Olivia Lewis (LOL) will be 1
year old on 6/26. Her uncles,
Matthew and Jacob call her Lilo, because of her name and
her birthdate (Stitch‘s original
name is Experiment 626).
It‘s 17 years for Felicia
Cook, SelecTrucks, and
her husband Michael.
Well Done!
PSTC news | Summer 2015
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www.peachstatetrucks.com
A Call From a Satisfied Customer
A customer called to sing the praises of Wally Marchant, who normally works in McDonough,
but was ―on loan‖ to the Forest Park parts department. The customer, David Prasch, had
been trying to get parts to fix the A/C in his truck for a couple of weeks and had been having
some problems getting what he needed. But, according to Mr. Prasch, Wally went above and
beyond after hours, to ensure that Mr. Prasch had exactly what he needed to get his truck
fixed. Mr. Prasch said, ―You all need Wally at your parts counter full-time and he deserves a
big fat raise‖. Hat‘s Off to Wally! Thanks for making PSTC look good!
PERSONALS!
SV Service Team Delivers!
The Forest Park Extra Value Employee for May is Dawn McRae
Dawn has been with Peach State
for 9 years. Dawn handles the
Freightliner, Cummins, Eaton, and
Meritor warranty for the Forest
Park, Austell, and SV locations.
Dawn also handles the day to day
service administration duties for the
Forest Park shop. Dawn is also
known as the Shop Mom for the
Forest Park location. Everyone in
the Service department really appreciates all she does. Dawn has a
great attitude and work ethic. Any
time we have a function such as a
holiday luncheon or tech appreciation lunch, Dawn is always there to
make sure everything goes off
smoothly. Dawn is a very important
member of the Forest Park Service
team and contributes greatly to our
success. Thanks for all you do
Dawn!
www.peachstatetrucks.com
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PSTC news | Summer 2015
Service is More Than A Just Word in 3S.
PSTC Employees, Make Service Come Alive
S
ervice is the first word in the Peach State Truck Centers‘ 3S initiative. It is the only word in 3S that denotes an
action, that being to serve. Many times the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word ―service‖ in a
business context is customer service. This is undoubtedly an important aspect of our 3S initiative that we should always strive to improve. However, there are other types of service that come into play that should also be considered
when contemplating our 3S initiative, our Vision and our Mission.
One of our top priorities should be service to the communities we work in. As employees of PSTC we have enjoyed
the patronage of people from our community which has led to our success. It is only fitting that as an organization
we find ways to give back something to those that have not been as fortunate, and especially those who find themselves in need. Below you will find a list of opportunities where you can participate in making Service a priority.
Winship 5K
The Winship Win the Fight 5K is an annual family-friendly event and will raise critical funds for cancer research,
treatment and care at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University. Winship Cancer Institute is Georgia's only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center. As a PSTC employee when you volunteer to run, walk or just cheer
at the finish line, your entry fee is paid by the company. You will receive a
race shirt and a company shirt to wear on race day. We pay for family
members to enter also! So you can make this a family event.
We all probably know someone who has had or has cancer. This is your
chance to provide support for those individuals both monetarily and emotionally and all you need to do is share a little of your time. Become a Winship warrior and join with your PSTC teammates at the 2015 Winship 5K.
Sign up information and a link to the official Winship sign up web page can
be found on the home page of UltiPro or you can contact Jim Thompson, Bill Garrett or Price Mason.
The Annual Blanket Drive
Every year one of our employees, Adarryl Mathews, gathers blankets or accepts donations to purchase
blankets to distribute to the homeless in our communities. See ‗A Heart for the Homeless‘, PSTCnews,
Nov/Dec 2014. The drive begins in October and ends in November. Maybe this year you would like to join
Adarryl when he distributes the blankets to the homeless in Atlanta and Birmingham.
Toys for Tots
Peach State is a long time participant in the Marine‘s Annual Toys for Tots toy drive. You can contribute a new toy to
the receptacles at each location.
GADA Drive Out Hunger Campaign
New to Peach State this year was the Drive Out Hunger campaign that allowed PSTC employees to make tax deductible contributions directly from pay check deductions. In our first drive the employees and the company combined to raise over $7000. See the full press release on page 20 of this newsletter.
As you can see both our employees and the organization are focused on Service to our community. Don‘t miss your
opportunity to join in the efforts to give back to those in need.
PSTC news | Summer 2015
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www.peachstatetrucks.com
Service Update
Time for our Techs to Shine
T
his summer we want to give our great technicians the chance to show off their skills and
win some money in the first ever Peach State/Birmingham Freightliner Tech Competition.
We believe that we have some of the most highly skilled technicians in the business and
this friendly competition will allow them an opportunity to put their talents to the test, learn
something new, and have a little fun in the process.
On August 11th, 19th and 26th a 25-question written test will be administered at all of our locations to techs interested in participating. Each tech who signs up will be given a 2015 Tech Competition T-shirt, so no one goes home empty handed. The test questions will be familiar to most of our techs from their
Freightliner and Detroit Diesel training courses.
Bryan Leskosky
Service Director
The tech with the top score from each location will be awarded $1,000 and advance to the
Hands-On Competition held the week of October 19. Wildcard spots will be given out to the next
best scores (corporate-wide) until 15 techs are named and entered into October‘s main event—
along with $500. The top three techs following the Hands-On Competition will be awarded big
cash prizes, with the first place tech winning a trip to the Detroit Diesel factory with his or her
Service Manager.
While I‘m sure this will prove to be a great couple of events for our technicians—and something we can replicate
again in the future—we can also use it as a tool for the benefit of Peach State as a whole. Highly skilled and motivated techs can be hard to come by these days, so I feel it‘s important to reward those that we currently have in our
service departments, as well as use events like this one to help bring in new ones.
With programs like the training courses Ron Yeary and Mark Maddox hold in Jefferson and Steve Plant‘s Mentor
Program in Forest Park and elsewhere (See more about the mentor program below), Peach State is already a leading force when it comes to Service. And with this year‘s Tech Competition, we hope to push ourselves a little further
ahead of the pack.
Sometimes, to find the best technicians you have to grow your own
S
teve Plant, Service Manager at Forest Park, was having trouble finding all of the Service
Technicians he needed through normal recruiting channels. He made a determination that he
would have to start developing his techs from within. Thus, the Service Technician Mentoring
program was born. The internal development program has been a huge success. Technicians who were the first to
enter the program have now started assisting in the development of the next generation of trainees.
Steve explains, ―Our Mentor program has come full circle! Our first participant in this program, Kane Pass, came to
work at Peach State on February 7, 2011 and was mentored by Lee Dawes. Since then, Kane has progressed swiftly in his career. He has mentored Steven Sandoval for the past few months. After a meeting with Kane and Gary
Epperson, it was decided Steven is ready to go on his own. This program has been a great success here in Forest
Park. Everyone's participation and commitment has made it successful. I want to thank everyone for their support.‖
Lee led the way
mentoring Kane
www.peachstatetrucks.com
Kane mentored
Steven
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PSTC news | Summer 2015
Parts Update
Austell Parts Department Continues to Grow
In this edition of PSTCnews we are spotlighting some of the great work that‘s been happening at our
Austell location. What was once simply a small satellite parts storefront for Peach State has grown
into a thriving parts and service operation that‘s integral to the success of the whole organization.
The great work that‘s been going on in Austell deserves recognition and I‘m happy to shine a light
Joe Presley
Parts Director
on the people who are driving it forward.
Austell was opened in 2000 on Fulton Industrial Boulevard with the help of Luis Agra, the location‘s current Parts
Manager. In the beginning the business existed to provide parts to the major fleets in the area: Warner, Ryder and
Penske. But sales grew faster than the small building could handle, so in 2008 Peach State moved their Austell location to Lee Industrial Boulevard near Six Flags and expanded the business to include service in addition to parts
sales. Again, though, the location‘s thriving success became a challenge for the new property‘s small size.
After looking up and down I-20 from Six Flags to the Alabama state line for two years, we settled on a new location
for the Austell store—literally next door in what was then a Coca-Cola-owned facility. The new space has proven to
be ideal for our parts and service operations—sales have more than doubled since
the move—and in the future there‘s the possibility of adding a truck sales department.
The overwhelming success Austell has seen
over the past 15 years has been due to some
key relationships, as well as the hard work
and dedication of people like Luis and the
Desmond Burch keeps the parts moving
team that he‘s put together. Some recent
Parts Superstars that deserve recognition are Mike Price and Desmond
Burch. Together they have tackled the heavy work load from a local Penske
body shop that‘s produced over three quarters of a million dollars in the last 12
months.
Mike, Parts Sales, takes the orders and performs estimates for Penske, while
Mike Price keeps the orders coming
Desmond drives the parts truck and makes the deliveries. Both guys have well exceeded their responsibilities lately
in ensuring that this important customer is taken care of. They are extremely hard-working and stay on top of all they
have to do, even outside of the Penske account, which is just a small portion of their work.
In this industry it can be hard finding people who not only have the knowledge and experience of our business, but
also the drive to go above and beyond everyday. Mike and Desmond are these types of people and have been great
assets not only to Austell, but Peach State as a whole. We thank them for their continued commitment.
PSTC news | Summer 2015
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www.peachstatetrucks.com
Used Trucks Update
SelecTrucks - A Brief History
Gary Conleay
Director of Used Truck
Sales
I
‘m sure that most Peach State employees know that Freightliner is the dominant brand
in the North American market, with about a 37 percent market share in class 8 trucks.
Many of you may not know how Freightliner got to be so dominant in that market. Furthermore, you may not know the role that Selectrucks played in helping Freightliner to
achieve that market share.
Back in the mid 90‘s, Freightliner was a strong player, but was only enjoying about a 15
percent share in the class 8 market. In 1992, Freightliner was bought out by Daimler Corporation and they put a
team in place that began to formulate a plan to exponentially increase Freightliner‘s market share.
This team knew that their greatest growth potential was with fleets. The main problem with fleets, though, is that
they need to know how much they would be getting for those trucks at the end of their life cycle. So Freightliner
put together guaranteed trade package pricing for their fleet customers and agreed to take their trucks on trade at
the end of that cycle. This was something that no single dealer could do because of the large volumes of trucks
that were being traded.
This concept was very popular with the fleets, and they responded by purchasing thousands of trucks! Trades
started rolling in and the market share began to grow, but a new challenge arose. What do we do with all of these
trades? That challenge spawned the beginning of Selectrucks.
In the spring of 1997, the first Selectrucks retail store was opened in Tampa, FL. Just a couple of months after
that, Selectrucks of Atlanta was opened in McDonough, GA. Their mission was to sell trucks that had been traded
in by Freightliner‘s fleet customers. It wasn‘t long before Selectrucks became one of the biggest retailers of used
trucks in America! At that time, most of those locations, including the Atlanta store, were owned by Freightliner
Corporate.
In July of 2007, Peach State bought out Atlanta Freightliner, of which Selectrucks of Atlanta was a subsidiary. With
that deal, Freightliner agreed to sell half of Selectrucks of Atlanta to Peach State, and make the company a limited
partnership. Today, we remain partnered with Freightliner, and our primary mission continues to be the sale of
dealer and corporate trades in support of new truck sales.
As a side note to that, one of our employees has been here at Selectrucks for its entire history, and may be the
oldest employee in the entire Selectrucks network. Lyn Owens was working in the used truck department at Atlanta Freightliner before Selectrucks was born, and he helped open Selectrucks with GL Barrow. Lyn continues to sell
trucks today, and is among the top salespeople in the network every year!
Our Jefferson and Birmingham stores also wave the Selectrucks flag. Peach State is the sole owner of those locations, and we fly the Selectrucks banner under a license agreement with Daimler Trucks Remarketing.
www.peachstatetrucks.com
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PSTC news | Summer 2015
New Trucks Update
Thomas Bus Team Hosts Conference Delegates
T
he Peach State Thomas Bus Team was honored to be a part of the Georgia Association of
Pupil Transportation (GAPT) Annual Convention during the earlier this summer on Jekyll Island, GA. GAPT is the association of school sysJeff Cook
Director of New
tem transportation directors, bus drivers, trainers, and
Truck Sales
fleet maintenance personnel from all over the state of
Georgia, and many were in attendance for the convention—one of the biggest our Thomas team is a part of each year. And
again our guys knocked it out of the park, giving Peach State great exposure to this important group.
On the opening day of the convention our Thomas team—
comprised of Ken Lane, Ray Durden, Shane Mayfield,
Rhonda Keener, and Jeff Davis—sponsored the kick-off
luncheon for over 400 county conference delegates. After giving a presentation on the advantages of the Thomas Bus products and the superior service of the Peach State name, the
team awarded gift certificates to the recent winners of the Georgia School Bus Driver ―Roadeo‖. The ―Roadeo‖ is a
competition for bus drivers in the state that promotes safety and professionalism, and Peach State wanted to give
this year‘s winners an additional reward to show them how important bus
drivers are to our community.
But the Thomas Team didn‘t stop there: on Wednesday they held a dinner
at the Crane Cottage (see picture below) for 150 potential customers from
different counties throughout the state. A good time was had by all. Doug
Rechner, from Daimler Truck Finance, Jim Crowcroft and Paul Start from
Thomas Built Buses, Shane Wright from Syntec Seating, and Mike Marlin
from Spheros A/C came out to support the Thomas Team in making a great
impression in front of this great group of people.
I‘m extremely proud of all the hard work
our team did in Jekyll Island and all of the
great things they‘re doing throughout the
year to grow the business of our bus division. With Peach State being the only supplier of Thomas Buses to the state of Georgia, events like the GAPT Convention are
crucial for developing new relationships
and showing off our quality products and
service.
PSTC news | Summer 2015
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www.peachstatetrucks.com
Birmingham Freightliner Shows
Heritage Freight Our Appreciation
O
n August 7 some of the Birmingham Freightliner team headed
south to Sylacauga, Alabama to serve lunch to the great people at
Heritage Freight. As usual, General Manager Mike Thompson and
Service Manager JD Humphries manned the grill and cooked up
some delicious chicken breasts. Those two are becoming quite the
culinary duo, and their hospitality, again, went a long way in showing the great lengths the Birmingham team will go
to satisfy their customers—with great sales, service, parts…and great food.
―The cookout was a great opportunity for us to show Heritage Freight that we‘re interested in establishing a relationship with them that extends beyond just business deals,‖ said Mike Thompson. ―With Rick Reynolds being there
and all of our managers showing up, everyone was able to meet face-to-face and establish plans for moving forward in this partnership.‖
Rounding out the rest of the team representing Birmingham Freightliner was Rick Reynolds, Peach State CEO; David Jeff, Birmingham
Sales Rep for the Heritage account; David Gurley, Body Shop Manager; Wes Coffee, Parts Manager; and Arthur Sprecht, District Finance Manager for Daimler. Everyone from Birmingham pitched in to
show their team approach to serving their customers.
In addition to the chicken, the team served sides from Full Moon Barbecue and Milo‘s tea and lemonade—some Birmingham favorites.
Jeff McGrady is President and CEO of Heritage Freight and each of the Birmingham team had a chance to meet
the man behind this important account. Jeff has grown the business to over 100 trucks in just six years. The company has many assets: tankers hauling asphalt, teams running Dedicated Freight
from Jacksonville, Florida to Salt Lake City, Utah, daily dry van freight moved to
Texas and the Carolinas and flatbeds hauling roofing shingles.
With Jeff being highly opportunistic, Heritage Freight is sure to grow in the coming
years, making for a great account for Birmingham and Peach State Freightliner to
have.
In addition to Jeff McGrady, the team was introduced to Gary Whitherd, Heritage
Freight‘s Shop Manager, who has been with the company for about a year.
―Cookouts like these are always fun for us, because we get to serve our customers where they work,‖ added Mike.
―Acts like that, while being a good thing to do, are also great for sales and are a testament to how Peach State likes
to do business.‖
www.peachstatetrucks.com
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PSTC news | Summer 2015
Company News
The Store that Started it All Gets a Fresh New Look!
T
his summer Peach State is excited to announce the start of the Norcross store‘s major renovation project.
The project, which should continue into the beginning of 2016, is the first substantial update the Norcross
facility has seen since being built in 1974. For Peach State, it‘s the store that started it all, and at the completion of this project Norcross will once again become the flagship location of the Peach State Truck Centers family.
Many changes will be made to the 40 year-old building during the renovation. The plans include an open-concept
design inside the dealership with fewer walls giving the space a much more open and larger feel. A second floor will
be added to house the administrative and executive staff. The addition of a first class drivers‘ lounge will be a big
plus for our customers, as well as the expansion of the service bays by 18 feet. With the update, the Norcross location will be eligible to join the ranks of our other Elite Support certified locations.
The new server room at the Norcross Location features hardened construction, a new state of the art cooling
system and improved server racking and networking systems.
PSTC news | Summer 2015
14
www.peachstatetrucks.com
The excitement behind this project can be shared by all Peach State employees, even those that don‘t work at Norcross. On the UltiPro employee portal, periodic updates will be logged to keep everyone informed about the progress. Check in from time to time to see before and after photos, videos of demolition, and plans for the finished
project.
This is going to be an impressive change to the most historic store in our company that will help us in our mission
of being our customers‘ dealer of choice and our employees‘ employer of choice. And it couldn’t have happened
at a timelier period in Peach State’s growth: 40 years and still moving forward.
Demolition for the remodel has begun
Rick Reynolds's Office
Accounting Department
Fleet Sales Department
Truck Sales Department
HR and
Drivers Lounge
Ricky Brown’s
Office
www.peachstatetrucks.com
15
PSTC news | Summer 2015
PSTCpeople
To Green Family, Little Carts are a Big Deal!
Racing plays a big role in the life of Tereesa Green (Admin, Birmingham) and her family. With two sons that
cart race in their spare time, a husband that serves as mechanic and pit crew for them and parents that
cheer from the stands at every race, Tereesa feels that the sport has brought her family closer together
over the years. And that family/team dynamic
has led the Green boys to some successful
seasons behind the wheel and in their full-time
careers.
Both David and Justin (25 and 21 years-old,
respectively) have been racing carts for the
past three years—David in Box Stock and Justin in Pro Clone. Their home track is Raceway
Park in Talladega, Alabama, near the Talladega Short Track and the world famous Talladega Superspeedway. Justin finished second
in points for the 2014 season in his class including a first place finish, while David scored
numerous top 5 finishes. This year in races at
Bailey‘s Motor Speedway in Woodland,
Alabama, Justin had a 2nd and 3rd place finish
and at Fast Lane Raceway (also in Woodland)
both boys have top five finishes.
David Green in his Box Stock Racer
The goal for the brothers is to advance to dirt track racing in the future, and with the success they‘ve see in
such a short amount of time, it looks like they‘ll be competing in racecars on the Talladega Short Track in
no time.
When the boys aren‘t racing they‘re working
hard, saving up to get back out in their carts.
Justin is employed at the Honda plant in Lincoln, Alabama, working two weeks on day shift,
then two weeks on night shift. David has spent
the last four years working at Fat Man‘s BBQ in
Cropwell, Alabama near Logan Martin Lake.
Tereesa says she is very proud of both of her
boys and the closeness their shared hobby
brings to their entire family. She encourages
anyone in the area to looking for some Friday
night fun to come out and watch her boys from
the free grandstands at Raceway Park. While
Tereesa would love to be a grandparent one of
these days, she understands that David and
Justin still want to be able to do what they want
to do, when they want to do it.
And at this point for Team Green, that’s racing.
PSTC news | Summer 2015
16
Justin is his Pro Clone
www.peachstatetrucks.com
PSTCspecial
Recognition of PSTC Employees and
Their 2015 Graduates
Jacob Lewis
Son of Chey McFall, Norcross
Jefferson HS
David Hamm
Son of Roger Hamm, McDonough
Peoples Baptist Academy
Alex Brown
Grandson of Jane Brown, McDonough
Ola HS
Kelsie Neath
Cousin of Justin Neath, McDonough
Pike County HS
Chandler Waters
Son of Andy Waters, McDonough
Union Grove HS
Johan Harmon
Stepson of Joey Reichart, McDonough
Locust Grove HS
Morgan Gaddis
Daughter of Gary Gaddis, Jefferson
Jefferson HS
NOT PICTURED
Meagan Gaddis
Daughter of Gary Gaddis, Jefferson
Jefferson HS
Candace R. Haggray Daughter of Craig Haggray
Atlanta Metropolitan College with Honors
Sara Lupo- Daughter of Wendell Lupo, Austell
Locust Grove HS
Elaina Helms, Daughter of Barry Helms, Birmingham
The University of West Alabama, Nursing
Cameron Chalmers
Nephew of Pat Peavy, Jefferson
Mill Creek HS
E. Schiappa , Daughter of Luis Agra,
UGA, BS Education, CUM LAUDE
Kenny Petsch, Nephew of Dawn McRae, Forest Park
Woodland HS
Sarah-Ashley Mayfield, Daughter of Vince Mayfield, Jefferson
Buford HS
Taylor Garrett
Son of Bill Garrett, Norcross
Georgia Connections HS
www.peachstatetrucks.com
Sterling Healan, Son of Chris Healan, PDC,
Jefferson HS
17
PSTC news | Summer 2015
Anniversaries
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
Name
ROBERT YOUNG
Date
08/04
Service
1.0
KAREN SNEED
08/04
1.0
LARRY JILES
08/18
1.0
KYLE TUCKER
08/18
1.0
TYLER SMITH
08/18
1.0
PRICE MASON
08/19
1.0
TERRY HORTMAN
08/18
1.0
JOSH MILLERMON
08/25
1.0
NELLIE MOSLEY
08/25
1.0
FRANK MOSLEY
08/25
1.0
HARDY SIMMONS
08/25
1.0
CHRISTINE PRESSWOOD
08/25
1.0
ALEXANDRIA BECKHAM
08/22
1.0
JEFFREY DAVIS
08/27
1.0
CHRISTOPHER RAMPERSAD
08/12
2.0
MARIE MILETTE
08/05
2.0
JOSEPH RENCHER
08/05
2.0
STEVEN SANDOVAL
08/15
2.0
ROBERT WATERS
08/27
3.0
WILLIAM PARTIN
08/20
3.0
WAYNE ELLIS
08/23
3.0
WILLIAM GARRETT
08/31
3.0
DAVID ROBINSON
08/06
3.0
MATTHEW MC DANIEL
08/02
4.0
RICHARD BEDDARD
08/10
4.0
SCOTT MASTERSON
08/16
4.0
HERSHEL CAMP
08/29
4.0
MARGARET FOSTER
08/20
6.0
KENDALL EADY
08/04
7.0
AMANDA ELZEY
08/18
7.0
MICHAEL MOORE
08/23
9.0
ROY HULL
08/05
11.0
BRADLEY WHEELER
08/21
12.0
MICHAEL OWENS
08/05
13.0
STEVEN JOHNSON
08/25
18.0
HELEN OTWELL
08/27
36.0
VAN BOGAN
08/02
39.0
PSTC news | Summer 2015
OCTOBER
Name
CLAUDE FAGAN
FARRAHLEE BETSILL
ANDREW BUCK
RANDALE BANKSTON
ALBERT WYATT
TRAVIS POWELL
MICHAEL GAINOUS
ANDREW JOHNSON
JOHN HUMPHRIES
GREGORY ALTHARDT
GERALD STEWART
DEVIN ROBISON
CHRISTOPHER REESE
SHANE MAYFIELD
ROBERT O'NEILL
MATTHEW ROY
WILLIAM ROOKS
CRYSTAL BLACKWELL
MELANIE JOHNSON
CHARLES SHAVER
TROY ALLENDE
SHARRON CLANTON
Date
09/17
09/02
09/08
09/02
09/02
09/08
09/08
09/15
09/10
09/16
09/10
09/25
09/25
09/12
09/07
09/05
09/15
09/10
09/20
09/11
09/08
09/01
Service
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.0
2.0
2.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
9.0
9.0
LOU WHEELER
DAVID HOOD
LONAR DURDEN III
IAN AUGUSTIN
HAN NGO
RICHARD ALOTTO
VERNON ALEXANDER
JAY STOREY
TEREESA GREEN
DARRELL BRYAN
09/01
09/09
09/30
09/27
09/09
09/03
09/29
09/12
09/30
09/18
10.0
10.0
10.0
11.0
12.0
12.0
12.0
13.0
13.0
15.0
MARTY ANDERSON
JOHNNY ELLIOTT
DAVID GURLEY
DOUGLAS CASH
WILLIAM TAYLOR
09/06
09/06
09/03
09/09
09/14
25.0
27.0
29.0
30.0
32.0
18
Name
JAMES TEAGUE
MICHAEL WHEELER
KATIE KLASSEN
ELIJAH OLIVER
TERRY JENKINS
Date
10/08
10/13
10/10
10/26
10/24
Service
3.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
4.0
WILLIAM ADAMS JR
MICHAEL MASK
LUPICINIA SERRANO
BRADLEY CARROLL
TOMMY PHILLIPS
EDUARDO GALVEZ
VINSON FIFE JR.
KEDRON NAIRN
JAMES HOLLINS
JASON JOHNSON
KEVIN CASTLE
10/11
10/03
10/01
10/14
10/06
10/08
10/02
10/29
10/03
10/30
10/23
5.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
7.0
8.0
8.0
8.0
9.0
9.0
9.0
JAMES FAIR
MICHAEL BENSON
WILLIAM RICHARDSON
DEBORAH BROWN
SARAH RIEHLE
BRYAN CUNNINGHAM
ROBERT SPIRES
10/10
10/24
10/17
10/11
10/05
10/06
10/30
10.0
10.0
10.0
11.0
11.0
12.0
13.0
MARVIN SWILLEY
VINCENT MAYFIELD
LUIS AGRA
JIMMY BROWN
KEITH MUMFORD
10/03
10/30
10/04
10/05
10/01
15.0
15.0
16.0
17.0
28.0
www.peachstatetrucks.com
Birthdays
AUGUST
Name
SEPTEMBER
Date Of Birth
STACY MULLINS
08/01
HASSIE PARKER
08/03
WILLIAM HARPER
08/03
HOWARD NINNEMAN
08/03
TORRENCE GOODWIN
08/04
ROBERT WILLIAMS
08/05
DOUGLAS LACKEY III
08/05
STEVEN BELL
08/07
TODD WATSON
08/09
RONALD RUNDLE
08/09
DAVID HOOD
08/10
MARTY ANDERSON
CAROL LANE
08/10
08/11
VINSON FIFE JR.
GARY HOGLAND
08/11
08/12
CASEY WYATT
08/13
MATTHEW ROY
08/13
ANTONIO SICA
08/13
NELLIE MOSLEY
08/13
IAN AUGUSTIN
08/14
TRAVIS POWELL
08/15
JEREMY WILSON
08/16
RENA WILEY
VANESSA HARRIS
08/16
08/18
JAMES CAIN
08/19
JAMES GISSENDANNER
08/19
LARRY JILES
08/21
DAVID GURLEY
08/21
CHARLENE WILLIAMS
JEFFREY COOK
TITUS DURANT
08/22
08/23
08/24
MARVIN SWILLEY
08/24
DENA THOMPSON
08/25
EULAN WHEELER
08/25
CORNELIUS ALEXANDER
08/26
RANDALL CONE
08/26
JOSEPH AVELLINO
08/27
SHALOR HOWELL
DANA CORBIN
08/27
08/27
MICHAEL FURGERSON
08/27
ANDREW BUCK
08/28
JOSHUA CLARK
KYLE TUCKER
08/31
08/31
MIGUEL MCKAY
08/31
www.peachstatetrucks.com
Name
OCTOBER
Date Of Birth
KEDRON NAIRN
GARY CONLEAY
ROGER MIMS
MICHAEL SMITH
GARY GADDIS
DANIEL BROOKS
MARY POOLE
JESSIE RUFFIN
FARRAHLEE BETSILL
JOSEPH WITMAN
JON NATION
KEVIN MATHEWS
JARED HICKS
TERRY JORDAN
RODNEY TODD
MARK SEABOLT
JASON WEST
VINCENT MAYFIELD
JONATHAN RICHARDSON
DAVID ELDRIDGE
RICARDO RODRIGUEZ
TOMAS GARCIA
MELVYN SWAIN
AMANDA ELZEY
BLAKE GOODWIN
MICHAEL WILLINGHAM
BOBBY JONES
WILLIAM LOVELACE
THOMAS ALBERT
CESAR FRANCO
JEFFREY BYRD
CLAUDE FAGAN
JUSTIN SEAMANDS
ROBERT MYERS
JASON WILSON
DANIEL OWEN
MICHAEL DURDEN
MICHAEL HOFFMAN
WAYNE ERVIN
TERRY THOMPSON
BRIAN MORGAN
CYNTHIA VERNON
TIMOTHY GRISWOLD
JAMES FAIR
19
09/01
09/01
09/02
09/03
09/03
09/05
09/05
09/05
09/06
09/07
09/08
09/08
09/09
09/09
09/09
09/10
09/10
09/10
09/11
09/11
09/11
09/12
09/12
09/13
09/14
09/15
09/15
09/16
09/16
09/18
09/21
09/21
09/22
09/22
09/23
09/23
09/23
09/25
09/25
09/25
09/29
09/29
09/30
09/30
Name
Date Of Birth
MICHAEL KINNER
SUSAN ELLIS
PATRICK DICKINSON
GARY SALTER
BOBBY JONES JR
HAROLD LEE
CHRISTOPHER EVANS
JOSHUA SWAFFORD
ROBERT LAPINSKI
GERALD STEWART
MARCELOUSE WILEY
WILLIAM PARTIN
VEON THOMAS
TU TRUONG
CRYSTAL MCRAE
MICHAEL KELLY
ROY HULL
ROY HATHCOCK
PHILLIP BRIDGES
ERIC MALDONADO
DEVIN STANLEY
HERSHEL CAMP
ADARRYL MATTHEWS
MICHAEL BUTLER
KENDALL EADY
BILL GARRETT
RANDALL DUNLAP
JONATHAN WILLIAMS
MARGARET FOSTER
WILLIAM SWEDELSON
LOU WHEELER
ZACHARY BRIGHT
KEITH WRIGHT
BRIAN GREEN
GERALD WILLIAMSON
FELICIA PROBST
JAMIRAH WILLIS
BRIAN FREDERICK
AUSTIN MOYE
TERRY HORTMAN
NANCY KENNEDY
DAVID NYCE
MATTHEW MCLENDON
JIMMY DUNN
CHRIS ARMSTRONG
10/01
10/01
10/02
10/03
10/03
10/04
10/06
10/07
10/08
10/08
10/09
10/10
10/11
10/12
10/13
10/13
10/14
10/15
10/17
10/17
10/18
10/18
10/18
10/18
10/18
10/19
10/20
10/21
10/21
10/22
10/22
10/23
10/24
10/25
10/25
10/26
10/26
10/27
10/28
10/28
10/29
10/30
10/31
10/31
10/31
PSTC news | Summer 2015
P S TC n e w s
A PUBLICATION FOR PEACH STATE TRUCK CENTERS EMPLOYEES
Our Locations
Peach State Freightliner Norcross
6535 Crescent Drive
Norcross, GA 30071
(770) 449-5300 |
Peach State Freightliner
5884 Frontage Road
Forest Park, GA 30297
Local: 404-366-8044
Peach State Freightliner
100 Sterling Place
McDonough, GA 30253
(678) 583-8800
Peach State Freightliner
1755 Dry Pond Rd
Jefferson, GA 30549
(706) 367-8998
Specialty Vehicle Service
5814 Frontage Rd
Forest Park, GA 30297
(404) 362-9385
Austell - Six Flags Parts and Service Center
450 Lee Industrial Blvd.
Austell, GA 30168
(404) 344-1189
Parts Distribution Center
6814 Best Friend Road
Doraville, GA 30340
(770) 449-5300
SelecTrucks of Atlanta
333 Industrial Blvd
McDonough, GA 30253
(800) 999-2512
Birmingham Freightliner
401 Daniel Payne Drive
Birmingham AL 35214
Phone: 205-322-6695
We're on the web at www.peachststaterucks.com and birminghamfreightliner .com
www.facebook.com/pages/Birmingham-Freightliner-SelecTrucks-of-Alabama
www.facebook.com/PeachStateFTL
Peach State Truck Centers Adopts Wellness Program
In this issue, instead of a recipe, I wanted to use this opportunity to write about our new wellness program.
As
you know health care costs continue to rise and the price of insurance follows right along with these cost increases. It is becoming more obvious with each new medical insurance renewal that simply making tweaks to the plan
or increasing deductibles and co-payments is not having the desired effect of keeping costs down.
Insurance costs are based on a combination of plan design, increases in the cost of treatment, ACA fees and
taxes and most importantly, claims experience. As mentioned above simply modifying plans now has little to no
impact and rising medical costs and fees are beyond our control, the only area of impact left to us is reducing claims experience.
The only way to do this is to develop a healthier employee population.
This is why, beginning in September, Peach State has partnered with Corporate Health Partners (CHP) in an effort to improve the
overall wellness of our employees who are participating in our health care plans. The program will start off by establishing a wellness baseline for our current employees and then measuring improvements over time. There will be several items used to establish this initial baseline including biometric screening, health questionnaires and one on one follow-ups with certified wellness counselors.
In the coming months we will establish wellness groups at each location and implement wellness activities that are specific to the
needs and interest of the individuals at each location. It is the activities coupled with education that will have the long term impact
on our collective wellness as a company and in-turn keep our costs from continuing to rise at the unsustainable rate we have seen
in the last several years.
Wellness is a process and positive results will not occur immediately. However, with continued emphasis on this area we feel confident that we can attain our goal of reigning in escalating costs and developing a healthier work place.
Bill
PSTC news | Summer 2015
20
www.peachstatetrucks.com