Bart Warner

      There aren't too many truck dealerships like Warner Truck Center. The dealership is located on 100 acres on which Bart Warner, dealer principal, operates four full-service sales and parts facilities.
      This includes a 130,000-square-foot Freightliner facility, an 82,000-square-foot Sterling, Western Star, Advance Mixer, Actera, Business Class/M-2 and Sprinter building. a 72,000-square-foot Wabash and Utah Tank & Trailer facility. There's also a 42,500-square-foot Express Truck facility that offers maintenance, Mitsubishi parts and service, Bering parts and service, light truck sales, ALF and mixer rebuilding and the Applied Technology Center.
      Out of these facilities Warner offers a host of services, including in-house financing, body shop services - including three paint booths and complete frame straightening - parts and service for aluminum and stainless bulk and LP tanks and trailers, independent repair services, RV and specialty truck services. The company has tax and business planning services for small fleets, coordination and payment of all services for small fleet customers and training for all phases of the trucking industry.
      Warner began working at Rick Warner Ford as a janitor in 1968. He had worked in every department except heavy trucks by 1980 when he was light truck manager. In 1980, Warner's father took him to his first Ford Heavy Truck dealer meeting and that got him excited about the heavy truck business. He was put in charge of all heavy truck operations and added a Freightliner dealership in 1983.
      In 1990, Warner and the dealership's controller, Jerry Zmyslo, bought the Freightliner, Ford and Mitsubishi dealership from Warner's father.
      The basic philosophy guiding Warner is a belief that the dealership's managers are his partners. "And we have the best partners anywhere." Managers are paid 45% of gross profit from which they pay for the variable expenses. They keep the rest.
      "We provide our people with the facilities and equipment and all of the capital they need." All but a few of the dealership's employees are paid straight commission.
      "We meet together each week to better understand each others' problems. Our No. 1 priority is that we get along and show mutual respect for each other so that people enjoy working here. We believe that it is tough to compete with people who enjoy what they do and where they work. When we hire someone, we work hard to make it a lifelong career and relationship."
      The many awards earned by Warner Truck Center include the Distinguished Service Award from the Utah Trucking Assn., member of the Ford 100 Club, Dealer Excellence Award from Mercedes Benz Credit Corp., The President's Forum, Drive for Excellence from Freightliner Corp. and the National Dealers Of The Year for Mitsubishi Fuso.
      Warner's service to the industry includes serving as National Ford Heavy Truck Dealer Council chairman and speaking at the National Convention of the Independent Parts Council at the Heavy Duty Manufacturing Assn.'s convention.
      He also has served as an advisory board member of the David Applied Technology Center, an executive board member of the Utah Trucking Assn. and National Dealer Council Policy Chairman for Freightliner Corp. He currently is serving as vice chairman of the foundation for the Salt Lake/Tooele Applied Technology Center Foundation.
      Warner has been involved in a wide array of community activities, including helping to raise $2.5 million for a homeless shelter. He also chairs and provides operating funds for the Youth Enrichment Foundation and donated funds for scholarships and equipment to Ricks College Benemerito Mexico Welding School.

Return to main article