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At Kenworth of Louisiana (KWLA), business truly is a family affair. The 57-year old trucking dealership began in Houma in 1968 with President Scott Oliphant’s father-in-law, Joe Teuton, Jr. Today, many of KWLA’s leaders have been with the company long-term—Oliphant for 23 years, co-founder and Vice President Jodie Teuton for 29 years, their COO for 17 years, and a leasing manager and another pair of Vice Presidents for more than 20 years each, among many other long tenured staff.
What started as a small business serving the commercial truck industry has grown into a full-line dealership in all of Louisiana’s major markets, representing Kenworth Truck Company, Hino Trucks, Autocar Trucks and Manitou Group Company forklifts, as well as some of the nation’s biggest commercial trailer lines.
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Top Executives: Scott Oliphant, President; Jodie Teuton, Co-founder and Vice President
Address: 1302 Bridgeview Dr, Port Allen, LA 70767; 3699 West Park Avenue, Gray, LA 70359
Phone: 225.303.0440, 985.876.3000 (HQ)
Website: kwlouisiana.com
KWLA’s team wants clients to find the perfect new or used truck, trailer or forklift for their specific business needs while setting the standard for commercial truck service and maintenance—a large part of what Oliphant believes separates them from others in the industry.
“When you bring a vehicle to Kenworth for maintenance, our goal is to get you back on the road as fast as humanly possible,” says Oliphant, citing stores’ 5-star reviews from customers.
KWLA also provides full-service commercial truck lease, rent, and financing programs at all Kenworth Louisiana locations, owning and maintaining about 1,400 pieces of equipment that customers operate, then bring back for full-life cycle maintenance. In addition to these services, Kenworth recently added construction equipment and material-handling products, leveraging already trained and warranty certified technicians and parts availability and an established distribution network.
But Oliphant is quick to point out that none of KWLA’s success would be possible without their dedicated team: the ones that make it all happen. With an employee-selected internal newsletter name of “Family Matters,” the Kenworth team clearly feels the company’s efforts to create a close camaraderie.
Oliphant believes the resources that Kenworth invests into training is a key aspect of their success and customer service standards, touting recent awards including Kenworth’s Silver Award and PACCAR’s Parts and Service Dealer of the Year award.
Saying we’re a business that believes in treating everyone like family is not just a cliché for us.
KWLA’s family-like atmosphere doesn’t stop with their team and customers but extends to the communities they serve. From Houma, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Lafayette and Lake Charles to Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport, KWLA’s locations actively support education and employment opportunities, particularly for local community college students, donating engines that allow them to learn current technologies and hiring interns when possible to work full-time with them.
“Saying we’re a business that believes in treating everyone like family is not just a cliche for us,” says Oliphant. “Kenworth is such a varied business, and our employees, clients and communities make us really proud of this place.”
