Page 31 - Newcom

Western Star’s Kelowna roots still evident today
More than 100 employees made the move to Portland
By James Menzies
PHOENIX, ARIZONA
The fact Western Star still shines bright 50 years after the creation of the brand is a small miracle. West- ern Star trucks in the late 1990s were still being custom-built, largely by hand, in Kelowna, B.C. while the major truck makers consolidated and pumped millions into modern- izing production facilities and pro- cesses. That environment was not conducive to the survival of a small independent manufacturer.
Kelley Platt, who today serves as president of Western Star, was involved with the committee that conducted due diligence on the com- pany before Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) stepped in and pur- chased it in 2000.
“Western Star had a rocky ride in the 80s and 90s,” she recalled, when speaking about the brand’s his- tory at a recent press event Apr. 27. “It went through multiple sets of ownerships. There was more than one Friday when (employees) went home and were told the auditors had the locks and keys and probably were going to shut the place down over the weekend, so don’t expect to come back to work Monday morn- ing. There was always some white
knight on the horizon that bailed them out.”
DTNA saw in Western Star a strong vocational product that would complement the Freight- liner brand to help the organiza- tion achieve market share growth.
“It was a good fit because it was a heavy-duty vocational company,” Platt recalled. “There were fewer vocational offerings at DTNA at that
“We brought a great set of people down from Kelowna when we moved manufacturing to Portland and they have really helped the rest of us learn the Western Star culture and what it takes to be successful in that kind of marketplace.”
– Kelley Platt, Western Star
time and the thought was, if you put a strong vocational player together with a strong on-highway player, it would be possible to have that dom- inant 40%-plus market share – and it worked.”
Daimler moved production of Western Star trucks from Kelowna to Portland, Ore. More than 100 employees upped their Western Canadian roots and relocated to the US.
“We brought a great set of people down from Kelowna when we moved manufacturing to Portland and they have really helped the rest of us learn the Western Star culture and what it takes to be successful in that kind of marketplace,” Platt said.
One of those employees who made the move was John Tomlin- son, who now heads Western Star’s new XD off-road equipment line. He started at Western Star in 1992 as a junior engineer in the powertrain department.
“There was a lot of uncertainty back then,” he recalled in an inter- view with Truck News. “I remem- ber the supervisor I was working for walked me past the order board and said, ‘If it ever gets below 300, you have to worry’.”
At the time of the DTNA purchase, Tomlinson was working out of a Charleston, S.C. engineering facil- ity, which was shuttered. He was offered the opportunity to move to Portland and continue working for Western Star and there was never any doubt he’d accept.
John Tomlinson, head of Western Star’s XD off-road equipment line, is a Kelowna transplant.
“Once Star’s in your blood, it’s not really much of a question,” he said. “You love the product.”
About 100-150 families made the move, and they have remained a tight-knit community to this day, Tomlinson said.
“Even the retired guys and the guys who are still working all still get together,” he said.
Tomlinson said he never would’ve dreamt he’d be working in Portland, Ore. and celebrating Western Star’s 50th anniversary.
“I’m very happy with how it has played out,” he said. “Our thoughts and core beliefs were well respected, and the more Daimler as a whole understands us, the better off we are.” TN
UAP acquires Freno’s distribution activities
MONTREAL, QUEBEC
UAP announced the acquisition of the distribution activities of Service de Freins Montréal (Freno) on Apr. 19.
The four Freno stores located in Anjou, Boucherville, St-Laurent, and Mirabel, Que. will be integrated into UAP’s Traction store network, as well as all the employees involved in sales, distribution, and delivery.
In addition, UAP and Freno have concluded a strategic agreement to accelerate the sales growth of remanufactured clutches and specialized radiators manufactured by Freno. The agreement also covers parts supply by UAP’s distribution center located in Longueuil, for the needs of Freno. Freno’s heavy vehicle repair center located in Anjou will join the TruckPro network, which now includes more than 125 repair centers in the Canada.
“We are very pleased to welcome the Freno team to our Traction net- work,” said Pierre Rachiele, executive vice-president, heavy vehicle parts division, UAP. “There are numerous synergies between our two companies and this agreement will allow us to better meet the needs of our custom- ers and continue our growth.” TN

26th Annual Fleet Safety Council Educational Conference Friday October 20th, 2017
Centre for Health and Safety Innovation 5110
0 Creekbank Rd., Mississauga L4W 0A1 Canada Registration cost: $150.00
Master of Ceremonies: John G. Smith, Editor of Today’s Trucking EARLY BIRD SPECIAL
Register before July 31 for A Chance to Win a Flat Screen TV
Download the registration form and agenda at:
– Promoting Diversity & Understanding General Influence in the Trucking Industry – Easy as 123: Creating Memorable Presentation Content Workshop
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– Not Legalese but Legal T’s:
Legal Panel - Trump, Trudeau, Trials and Tribulations
www.fleetsafetycouncil.com
June 2017 • Truck News 31