Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/540088
"Mack does this for everyone," Brown says. "There is an extremely close relationship between Mack, the customer and the dealer." Having the right equipment is important, but it's equally important to hire the right peo- ple to operate the equipment. Many of Bostick's employees have been with the company more than 40 years, and newcom- ers undergo a rigorous 60-step hiring pro- cess. The company's standards are so high that only 1-2 percent of applicants are hired. "Our people are an integral part of what happens here," he says. "Anyone can operate trucks and trailers; it's the spirit and profes- sionalism of the people that make the difference." Comcar, like most fleets, has to deal with the industry-wide shortage of qualified driv- ers. The recession forced Comcar to down- size the company by more than 1,000 employees, a hard time for everyone involved. But even as the nation recovers, the driver shortage remains a huge challenge for Comcar. Regulations, an aging population of drivers and the lack of interest in trucking by young people creates a perfect storm of labor shortages. However, Comcar has stayed competitive in both driver pay and benefits. Even more important, their drivers gain a sense of work- place family and an ingrained corporate cul- ture that began with Guy Bostick and is carried on today through his son and grandsons. "We try to treat people like we would want to be treated: with dignity, courtesy and respect," Mark Bostick says. "It was import- ant to my dad, and it's important to me. We try very hard to make sure that philosophy permeates the company." Though his father is 94 and no longer works in the office, his desk has remained just as he left it. The corporate culture he established remains as well. "My father taught me to treat people right, work hard, do the right thing and be honest and ethical," Bostick says. "Your word is your bond. We believe in buying good equipment and maintaining it, and we value our people and want to do things the right way." Bostick says he hopes to continue moving forward on the same steady trajectory that has carried Comcar through good times and bad. When potential new hires walk through his doors, he always looks for people with good attitudes who want to be part of a team. "I tell people, 'Life is too short not to enjoy what you do,'" Bostick says. "I want people to look forward to coming to work and being here." As for Bostick, there is nowhere else he would rather be. "It's obviously in my blood," he says. "There are always challenges, but there are always opportunities, too." 2 6 | B U L L D O G | 2 0 1 5 V 2 Photo: Mike Potthast/Potthast Studios for Comcar AT WORK Approximately 80 percent of Comcar's 3,000-truck fleet is composed of Mack trucks. "We try to treat people like we would want to be treated: with dignity, courtesy and respect. It was important to my dad, and it's important to me. We try very hard to make sure that philosophy permeates the company." Mark Bostick, president of Comcar Industries