Getting to know our Successful Dealer Award finalists: Peach State Truck Centers

PEACH STATE TRUCK CENTERS was started by Tom Reynolds in 1974, and has since grown into one of the largest COMMERCIAL TRUCK DEALERSHIP groups in the United States. Peach State Truck Centers has remained a family-owned business since its inception. Brothers Rick and Tim Reynolds worked side by side as the company’s sole owners until the untimely death of Tim Reynolds on July 3.

Rick Reynolds says his brother’s presence is greatly missed but he knows one way of honoring him is to continue providing the leadership and vision that has made the company so successful. Peach State generated more than $800 million in revenue in 2016. With 11 locations throughout the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area and central Alabama, Peach State serves customers through its 3S concept of service, solutions and success.

“To ensure that we provide this customer experience on a consistent basis, we hire and maintain some of the best heavy- and medium-duty truck sales specialists, service technicians and parts experts in the business,” Reynolds says.

Peach State also manages a $14 million local parts inventory, and provides the Elite Support Certified service experience at many of its locations. Along with Freightliner, Peach State sells FORD COMMERCIAL TRUCKS, Western Star, Thomas built buses, Sprinter Van and Fuso.

Through Peach State’s own state-of the-art training centers in Georgia, the company employees three full-time trainers to give some of its top customers a better understanding of the products they purchase. Periodically during the year Peach State hosts training sessions at their facilities in Jefferson and Austell for the trainers that work for major fleet customers. “These sessions are tailor-made for the customer and allow them to stay up-to-date on the latest technology coming out of DTNA, as the technology advances rapidly and changes almost daily,” Reynolds says.

Peach State recently started implementing a new Learning Management System. The system is tied to the company’s HRMS allowing them to train and track an individual’s training by job. This enables them to train to the specific role of the employee and to ensure that all training is taking place as required. This system will also allow Peach State to greatly enhance its leadership training and development. This is an overall investment of $125,000 in the first year alone.

All Peach State technicians are required to complete product training on an ongoing basis. Peach State provides its sales team with access to all Daimler and Ford online training tools to allow them to stay current on any changes coming to its line of products. This will soon be incorporated into the new LMS to provide improved tracking of required training and notification of required recertification.

The company has also made it a point to reach out to the communities they serve. Peach State has been a Silver Sponsor of the Emory University Winship Cancer Institute for 10 years. Peach State has also been a top-level sponsor of the Winship -Win the Fight 5k every year since its inception. In 2016 more than 140 employees, their family members and vendor partners participated in the run/walk that benefits cancer research at Emory University. The company also hosts an annual blanket drive for the homeless during Thanksgiving that was conceived of and run by a Peach State employee for the past eight years.

Peach State Truck Centers partners with local technical schools to provide high quality training and education for those students that are pursuing technician degrees in the diesel mechanic curriculum. Recently PSTC made a contribution to Gwinnett Technical College’s Diesel Program for $78,000. Peach State also provided more than $100,000 in training materials, such as engines, harness boards, electrical boards and access to e-training classes.

Peach State Truck Center is one of five Successful Dealer Award finalists invited to the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas in late August.