Houston, TX. – (Apr 23, 2021) – Leslie Doggett Industries through its Heavy Duty Truck Division has acquired the San Antonio dealerships for Western Star (Daimler North America’s Vocational and On-Highway Heavy Duty Truck line), Autocar (Severe Duty Class 7 and Class 8 vocational trucks – known for outstanding Trash/Waste Bodied Trucks) and Detroit Diesel from the Grande group of commercial dealerships owned by Richard (Dick) Kane for the past 50+ years.
Paul Burke, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Doggett Truck Group said, “this acquisition will fit in very nicely with our outstanding service organization which was voted the #1 dealership in the US by Successful Dealer Magazine. Technicians and their work are everything to Doggett and our customers; we live and breathe UPTIME. Folding Western Star, Autocar and Detroit Diesel in to our fabulous work environment will be a win-win for our customers and our team of dedicated folks. This is all very exciting.”
This acquisition complements Doggett’s existing Texas Freightliner dealerships in San Antonio, Laredo, Pharr, Brownsville and El Paso giving Doggett Freightliner of Texas distribution rights for all Freightliner and Western Star branded trucks, Autocar and Detroit Diesel for the Greater San Antonio Market with full service/sales/leasing dealerships. Doggett is also the Freightliner, Western Star and Autocar dealer for the State of Arkansas with dealerships in Little Rock, Van Buren, Searcy and Springdale/Fayetteville.
Freightliner is the North American brand for the world’s largest truck maker, Daimler Benz Trucks (German/Frankfurt – Daimler AG). Additionally, Freightliner is North America’s largest highway (18 wheeler) and vocational truck manufacturer with an unprecedented market share often exceeding 40% having more than double the market share of Peterbilt, Kenworth, Mack and Volvo.Doggett is a Houston based diversified heavy equipment dealer/distributor for 7 first-tier manufacturers (www.DOGGETT.com) that are either number 1 or 2 in their respective industries: John Deere Construction and Forestry Equipment (18 dealerships), Toyota Industrial Equipment - forklifts & material handling (7 dealerships), Freightliner On-highway and Vocational Trucks (7 dealerships), Western Star On-Highway and Vocational Trucks (located in most of our Freightliner dealerships), Vernon Gene’s Truck & Diesel Depot (1 dealership), Great Dane On-Highway Trailers (1 dealership), LinkBelt Cranes (4 dealerships) and one Ford Auto dealership reported to be the fastest growing Ford store in the nation. With all dealerships supported though Doggett’s in-house retail financing entity, Diesel Finance & Leasing LLC.
This acquisition, on the heels of Doggett’s purchase of one of Houston’s oldest and largest Ford dealerships (Lone Star Ford), boosts Doggett’s dealership count to 35 which are located and/or have geographic responsibilities throughout Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas and New Mexico. Doggett, founded by Leslie Doggett and Brady Carruth in 1993 with 17 employees, was ranked in 2019 by the Houston Business Journal as Houston’s Largest Family Owned Business (without outside investors of any kind) with annual sales approaching $2 billion through its 35 dealerships.
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