South Carolina's trucking industry will now be serviced by a familiar name in the surrounding states and throughout the Kenworth network.
Two truck dealerships in Columbia and Greenville have been purchased by Worldwide Equipment, a heavy duty truck dealer group based in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.
Previously Cherokee Kenworth, the two locations are Worldwide Equipment's first venture into South Carolina.
Both locations have been integrated into the operations of the larger dealer network.
"We're excited about the opportunity to do business in South Carolina," Worldwide Equipment COO Scott Blevins said. "In addition to offering our existing customers a wider service area, we expect to make several new long-term partnerships to replicate the success that we've had in the surrounding states.
“With the quality of employees, products, and customers, there's plenty of potential in these locations."
Existing staff will remain in place with few exceptions and additional positions are currently being advertised.
"A few members of our existing staff will facilitate the transition to our network, but the additions we'll be looking to make will be from the local areas in both cities," Blevins said.
In Columbia, formerly of Cherokee Kenworth's leasing department, Shawn Broadway has been named division manager. This location will offer new and used truck sales, parts and service support, finance, insurance and leasing.
In Greenville, current operations manager Ken Wood will lead the division. The Greenville location will also offer a full range of services with an additional leasing office in Piedmont.
Columbia and Greenville are two of Worldwide Equipment's three new dealerships added in 2011.
The company also operates 13 other full-service dealership locations, along with 20 parts and leasing stores, in West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio.
The company anticipates growing its facilities and locations in the near future.
Worldwide Equipment, established in 1967, serves the trucking industry with a network of 36 heavy and medium duty truck dealerships, service centers, parts stores, and leasing locations located throughout the eastern U.S. representing the Mack, Volvo, Kenworth, Isuzu, UD and Hino brands.
