Truck Parts and Service | Heavy Duty Trucking, Aftermarket, Service Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/723429
P roviding quality products and customer experiences has been a priority at Weldon Parts since day one. Just take a look at the name: You can't spell well done without Weldon. "That comes from way back when we fi rst started," says President Dave Settles, referring to his company's inception by his father (Leon) and uncle (Dean) in 1955. "They wanted to build well done skids; to do a job well done." More than six decades and 18 locations later, it's clear the duo's initial message hasn't been overlooked. While nearly everything else about the company has changed, Weldon Parts continues to thrive because the people at Weldon Parts remain committed to a job well done. "We've always tried to be more a resource than just a vendor [for our customers]," says Settles, the second generation of his family to lead Weldon. "We want to be a supplier, yes, but we also want to have ongoing relationships with our customers. "We want customers to think 'I'm going to reach out to [Weldon Parts]' when they have a problem." That's actually what brought Weldon into the truck parts business in the fi rst place. Weldon Industries was originally formed as a manufacturer of metal skids used in the paper industry. Dean was the builder and Leon made the sales. But not long after opening, the broth- ers began receiving requests for help from customers in other areas — specifi cally trucking. By the end of the decade Weldon Industries also was provid- ing truck repair and selling parts "out the back door" in an effort to please a growing customer base. Truck parts would become the company's dominant business not long after. It also would lead to the company's largest change to date — a 1975 split that saw Leon debut Weldon Parts in Oklahoma while Dean maintained control of Weldon Industries. For more than 30 years the two businesses operated sepa- rately on parallel tracks across the Midwest. Dean and his family grew the Weldon Industries brand in Nebraska, while Leon — and later Dave, his brother Darryl and other members of the family — expanded Weldon Parts into Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and even Florida. "We've been in Orlando since the mid-'70s," Dave says. The two businesses eventually joined back into one in 2011. Settles credits his veteran management team for making the transition nearly seamless. "I'm a big believer in delegating, and you can do that if you have a lot of good people," he says. "We've been fortunate that over the years we've been able to fi nd and keep some very good people." He says they're the ones that keep the 'well done' spirit alive. "Our managers and all of our people that travel, they work together as a team to promote our culture throughout the busi- ness and you have to have that," Settles says. "You have to be consistent with your messaging." And it's clear from the company's success that they've done that. Once a customer comes to Weldon, they stick around. "We have long-term customers everywhere," Settles says. "We still have original customers that buy from us." 12 T R U C K P A R T S & S E R V I C E | S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 6 Source: Google Maps, Weldon Parts Weldon Parts at a glance Weldon Parts has 18 locations in six states, and is one of the larger distributors by geographical coverage area in the independent aftermarket. Weldon Parts A veteran management team powers business at Weldon Parts, training employees and instilling a culture dedicated to customer satisfaction. DOTY Finalist By Lucas Deal, Editor lucasdeal@randallreilly.com