Q. What do you most want people to know about your company?
A. Kenworth Alaska is a family owned business that takes pride in providing quality products, excellent service and competitive prices. Our parent company is Kenworth Northwest, based in SeaTac, Washington, with locations in Aberdeen, Yakima, Marysville and Bellingham. Our dealer principle also owns Motor Trucks Inc. with branches in Everett, Mt. Vernon, and Bellingham, Washington.
Q. Where is your company located?
A. We have two locations. Anchorage, located at 2838 Porcupine Drive, underwent an extensive expansion and remodel, doubling the size of our current facility. Our Fairbanks branch moved into its new location, 2262 Van Horn Road, in 2007, which brings a state-of-the-art, full-service facility to the Fairbanks area. We are a division of Kenworth Northwest Motor Truck, which is 5 Kenworth branches and 3 International dealers in Washington state.
Q. What year was the company founded? Who founded it, and what was its original name?
A. Kenworth Alaska’s parent company is Kenworth Northwest, located in Seattle. John Clearwater was the original owner from 1967, opening the Anchorage location in 1974. In 33 years, we’ve traveled just about every road in the state, helping Alaska grow with our dependable top-notch equipment.
Q. Who heads up your company and who is on its senior management team?
A. Marshall Cymbaluk is the owner and CEO. Paul Henehan is CFO. They are located in Washington state. Jim Scherieble is general manager-Alaska, responsible for both Alaska stores, and is located in Anchorage. Tom Clements is the branch manager at the Fairbanks location.
Q. What is the company’s primary business sector? What services does the company offer?
A. Our business is selling and servicing medium duty and heavy duty trucks in the state of Alaska. Our two locations provide truck sales, parts and service for all types of trucking company and private owners. Kenworth is a proven, dependable product preferred in the arctic conditions of Alaska.
Q. How many employees does your company have?
A. Our entire company has 255 employees. In Alaska we have 41 employees, 25 in Anchorage and 16 in Fairbanks. We’re proud to have the most experienced people in the industry on staff.
Q. What is your company’s main strength or its edge over the competition?
A. Kenworth is known as “The World’s Best” in the trucking industry. We have a wide variety of highway and vocational trucks to fit the Alaska truck market. Kenworth builds luxury highway trucks, sturdy dump and log trucks, and heavy-application off-road trucks for the oilfield and mining industries.
We’re known for providing our customers with the experience and integrity Alaskans expect, and we work hard to protect that reputation.
Q. What do you see as your company’s biggest challenge in the next five years?
A. Our biggest challenge going forward is the 2010 diesel emission regulations. Environmental regulations and clean air impact all of us. By 2010 all Kenworth engines will achieve near-zero emissions of NOx, a greenhouse gas and smog-causing compound. Our challenge is to keep our products running as efficiently and continuously as possible in the harsh Alaska arctic environment.
Q. What is the average length of time employees work for the company?
A. We have a group of core employees who have been with Kenworth Alaska for many years. Our repair shops historically have had the most turnover, and we are always looking for qualified diesel technicians to add to our shops. We are pleased to introduce Ken Leaf as our new and used truck salesman. Ken has Alaska roots and worked for Coumbia Body in Portland before joining our team.
Q. What is your company’s safety record?
A. The Kenworth Alaska branches have a good safety record. Our industry has many moving and rolling parts and vehicles. We utilize safe work habits, have improved our working environment, and hire qualified people to ensure that our employees remain safe.
Q. Has your company received any awards or recognition?
A. Kenworth Truck Company received the highest ranking in customer satisfaction among Class 8 truck owners in the over the road and vocational segments, according to J.D. Power and Associates 2008 heavy-duty truck customer satisfaction study (SM). The annual study ranks customer satisfaction by evaluating manufacture performance in the areas of vehicle performance, quality, warranty and cost of ownership, and is based on interviews with primary maintainers of 2006 model year Class 8 trucks. Kenworth has now received the over the road award for the past four consecutive years and the vocational award for two straight years.
Q. Does your company have a Web site?
A. We certainly do. Visit us at www.kenworthalaska.com. We have our new and used truck inventory to view. Parts and Service post monthly specials and flyers. We also have links to our vendors, Kenworth Northwest new and used inventory and company contact information. Or, just come in to either our Anchorage or Fairbanks location. You can reach us by phone, fax or e-mail.
