CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, June 14, 2019 – The inaugural “Top Three Kenworths in the Show” winners and their guests recently enjoyed a special, all-expense paid trip to the Kenworth assembly plant in Chillicothe, Ohio. The Kenworth competition was part of the PKY Truck Beauty Championship held at the 2019 Mid-America Trucking Show.
The six special guests were Chad and Lisa Berry, Medford, Wisconsin; James and Malona Williams, Springfield, Missouri; and Mark Hollen and Lessa Martin, Denver, Pennsylvania. They attended a Kenworth customer event dinner in Columbus, Ohio, then traveled the next day to the Kenworth plant in Chillicothe, Ohio, for a special VIP tour, followed by a ride and drive session focused on the Kenworth W990, T880 and T680 models. The visit concluded with the supplier fair and lunch in the plant cafeteria. In addition to the trip, the winners received a Kenworth trophy and a $3,000 gift certificate from PACCAR Parts.
PLANT TOUR
Veteran Kenworth Chillicothe employee, Terry Brady, who began working at the plant when it opened in 1974, guided the group on a comprehensive 90-minute tour of Kenworth’s Class 8 truck assembly process. The Kenworth Chillicothe plant assembles the premium on-highway flagship Kenworth T680, Kenworth T880 vocational leader, and new Kenworth W990 traditional long-hood model, all equipped with the industry leading driver comfort features and standard with the fuel-efficient PACCAR MX-13 engine. Brady noted that the plant uses the latest advanced technologies and ergonomics to build The World’s Best trucks that deliver outstanding performance, reliability and low cost of ownership.
James and Malona Williams, owners of heavy equipment hauler J&L Contracting, enjoyed the tour. “The Kenworth Chillicothe plant was very impressive. The employees seemed to have a lot of care, pride and dedication in building Kenworth trucks. I was impressed at the pace of the line – just wow!” said James Williams. Added Malona Williams: “The plant was clean, and the employees looked like they enjoy what they do. I thought it was also neat seeing the robots that work in sync with one another.”
Chad and Lisa Berry are owners of Berry Trucking: “I can now see why Kenworth has the quality of trucks they do. The plant was well organized and clean, and the employees seemed to really care about their work,” said Chad Berry. Added Lisa Berry: “I noticed how smooth the production line went, with all the employees working well together.”
Noted Mark Hollen, owner of Denver, Pennsylvania based Denver Truck Painting, “I was very excited to have the opportunity to tour the plant. I enjoyed the cab building and the paint department. I was very happy that we received a tour of the multi-color hood, cab and sleeper paint department,” Hollen said. “No one really knows what goes into putting these Kenworth trucks together until they see it.”
Added Lessa Martin (Mark’s guest): “I really enjoyed the plant tour and seeing Kenworth trucks being assembled from frame rails to cabs, plus the behind-the-scenes, multi-color jobs in the paint department. I also was impressed with how clean the plant, considering the amount of work being done. It’s obvious that Kenworth is the best!”
RIDE AND DRIVE
“I liked driving the Kenworth W990. The T880 is another great Kenworth product. The cab fit and finish puts driver comfort on a different level,” said James Williams.
“The Kenworth W990 was very spacious and the interior impressed me. The W990 drove very nice! The Kenworth T880 would be my number one choice for a vocational application truck,” said Chad Berry.
“I drove three of the new trucks and enjoyed all the new amenities that my own truck doesn’t have. I love Kenworths,” said Lessa Martin.
Added Hollen, “I enjoyed the performance of the PACCAR 12-speed automated transmission. It also was nice to see how the latest 18-speed automated performs, and you’ve got to be impressed with disk brakes.”
“It was great to host our Top Three Kenworth in the Show winners, provide them with an inside look at the Kenworth Chillicothe plant, and put them in the driver’s seat of the W990, T880 and T680 – the World’s Best trucks,” said Kurt Swihart, Kenworth marketing director.
The Top Three Kenworth trucks in the Mid-America Trucking Show were James Williams' 2008 Kenworth W900L (‘Never Satisfied’), Mark Hollen’s rebuilt 2014 Kenworth W900L (‘She Gives Me the Blues,’), and the 1995 Kenworth W900 (‘Money for Nothing’) of Chad and Lisa Berry.
“We’re very thankful and appreciative of what Kenworth did for all of us, and how well they took care of us throughout the experience,” said Lisa Berry.
“Kenworth did a great job from the time we got there until we left to go home,” concluded Hollen.
