Two local businessmen acquired Thermo King dealerships in Springfield and Tulsa, Okla., in a transaction that closed Dec. 31.
John T. Cooper of Harry Cooper Supply Co., and R. Wayne Smith III, who served as sales manager of Springfield's Thermo King dealership for the last 15 years, purchased the transport temperature-control system dealerships for an undisclosed amount from Thermo King of Springfield Inc. - a company registered to James Hershel Demore of Springfield, according to records on file with the Missouri Secretary of State's Office.
The dealerships are now known as Thermo King of Springfield LLC and Thermo King of Tulsa LLC, but the operations remain in the same locations, according to a news release from Minneapolis-based Thermo King Corp. The local Thermo King dealership is at 1353 N. West Bypass.
With the exception of Demore family members, all previous employees transferred with the new owners, according to the release. The Springfield dealership employs 20, and its Tulsa counterpart has a staff of 13, Smith said, adding that customers should experience very little change.
"We're very customer-service oriented, and we're going to continue to focus on that," he said.
Cooper will serve as president of the newly created limited liability companies, and CEO Smith will be responsible for day-to-day operations at both dealerships. Tim Fry, formerly of Wick's Truck Trailers Inc., will serve as operations manager for both locations, and Ricky Pierce will continue in his role as general manager of the Tulsa dealership, according to the release.
Thermo King Corp., a subsidiary of Ingersoll-Rand Co. Ltd., was founded in 1938 and manufactures transport temperature control systems for trailers, truck bodies, buses, shipboard containers and railway cars. Customers of the Springfield dealership include Prime Inc. and O&S Trucking Inc., Smith said.
Thermo King Corp. operates 10 manufacturing facilities and 17 parts distribution centers worldwide. Sales and service for its equipment is provided by a global dealer network of 865 independently owned companies in 75 countries, according to www.thermoking.com.
See SBJ's Jan. 26 issue to learn more about the ownership change.[[In-content Ad]]
