Wheeling Truck Center , Inc .
BY MAGGIE MATSKO . Wheeling Truck Center , Inc . was founded in 1933 by C . H . Remp as a White Motor Company truck dealer . Forty-eight years later , Volvo Truck purchased the White Motor Company , and Wheeling Truck Center became a proud truck dealer for Volvo . The company has remained in the family for the past four generations .
This small , family-owned business is committed to serving the heavy-duty trucking industry while offering new and used trucks , truck parts and top-notch service . It has stood out above its competition by receiving awards for being one of the top Volvo Truck dealers in North America .
Wheeling Truck Center was already operating throughout the tri-state area for many years when the company gained the opportunity to broaden its reach . While working with the U . S . Commercial Service and the West Virginia Development Office ’ s International Development Division , the Wheeling-based company was able to find new customers in foreign markets . With a push in online marketing efforts , as well as traveling around the world to visit both customers and prospects , Wheeling Truck Center has been able to hit the milestone of selling truck parts in 109 countries .
Management soon discovered that distributing Wheeling Truck Center ’ s products around the globe comes with a different set of challenges . “ Selling our products internationally requires additional paperwork , and we are also faced with many regulations that do not apply to domestic sales ,” says Chad Remp , the company ’ s operations manager . “ These regulations are critical to follow properly to ensure compliance .”
The company was able to find a way to overcome these challenges , and its success was marked with sales transactions in more than 50 countries in the first year .
Wheeling Truck Center has also been able to extend its reach in the U . S . through its e-commerce website , class8truckparts . com , which was launched in 2009 . This website has helped the company expand its sales into all 50 states .
Wheeling Truck Center currently has 18 employees , but it is looking to enlarge its size and international reach . “ Looking toward the future , we are working on growing our sales in all departments ,” says Remp . “ We will also continue to focus on our e-commerce truck parts sales and our international expansion .”
This small West Virginia business with a global success rate credits its achievements to having its headquarters in the Mountain State . “ We have benefited greatly from our location in West Virginia ,” says Remp . “ We have a stable , highly skilled workforce and access to resources to help our small company transform for success in the future .” •
CONGRATULATIONS , SUSAN
Smart is focused . Smart is proven . Smart is bold .
Chief Executive Officer Susan Lavenski is an embodiment of our culture and values , and we couldn ’ t be more proud to congratulate her on being recognized as one of this year ’ s WV Executive Sharp Shooters . charlesryan . com
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