Customers and fellow colleagues from within the industry got their first glimpse of the new, state-of-the-art Dawson International Truck Centres facility last week during open house tours.
More than 50 members of the Kelowna community came out to take a look at the new building, as a series of tours were held one afternoon for all interested parties.
“The first thing I noticed was how big, spacious and clean this building was. This is a top-notch, unbelievable building,” said Blaine Rhymer, a visiting member of the Lake Country Chamber of Commerce.
Beginning in the welcoming showroom, tour participants were led into the building’s 8,000-sqaurefoot parts warehouse. Despite still unpacking and working to maximize the area’s efficiency, towers of racks below and in the second-floor mezzanine already contained more than 250,000 new Fleetrite parts, along with trailers loaded with oil, antifreeze and batteries. Soon, the warehouse will also be the central hub for parts across all our B.C. Interior locations, providing each of them access to an even larger inventory of parts.
Walking through the lots surrounding 3953 Highway 97 North, spectators learned about the different types of truck and trailer inventory available, the mobile service unit that is outfitted to perform preventative maintenance during off hours or weekends at the customer’s location, and the new air compressor system that allows both new and used oil to flow in and out of the facility, greatly reducing spills.
The tour concluded with a peek inside the shop, which had each of their six drive-thru bays occupied. New service features, like the five-ton crane- which allows teams to move truck bodies, engines, radiators and more easily and safely than ever – along with the lube pit and wash bay, impressed the crowd.
Among the crowd was Henry Johnson. The 95-year-old Kelowna product was the first employee hired in 1966 after Ron Gee and Hugo Cookson Sr. opened Cookson and Motors at 1150 Gordon Drive, Dawson International Truck Centres’ previous location. He spent 25 years with the company as a mechanic before moving on, eventually seeing Dawson International Truck Centres purchased Cookson Motors. With his digital camera in hand, Johnson was thrilled to be welcomed in the new facility and can’t wait to show off pictures of the new building to family and friends.
“This building is beautiful. I would have loved to work in a place with big bays like this,” said Johnson.
With the heavy lifting behind them, the Dawson International Truck Centres crew in Kelowna is excited about their bright future in their new home.
If you’re interested in working for a company that just opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility, then please visit our Careers Page to view all our current openings.