4 minute read
Road Less Traveled
by LABI_Biz
Kenworth of Louisiana co-founder Jodie Teuton steers the truck dealership group to success
Among her many accolades, Teuton was named the first recipient of the Kenworth Industry Impact Award in 2020. The award honors outstanding leaders in the company’s dealer network who have had a significant impact on the broader trucking industry.
JODIE TEUTON has been around the dealership business since she was a child. Her first job in middle school was on the wash rack at a family business, Southland Dodge in Houma, and she spent her early years working in the parts department and as a receptionist and service writer.
“I was raised to be helpful with a sense of responsibility to my family,” she says.
Today, Teuton is proud to continue her legacy as a truck dealer. She and her husband, Scott Oliphant, are dealer principals at Kenworth of Louisiana, which has locations in in Gray, Harahan, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, Port Allen and Shreveport. An eighth dealership in Hammond is planned to open soon.
In 2018, Teuton became the first woman to be elected chair of American Truck Dealers, and she currently represents Kenworth dealers as the ATD line representative. In 2020, Teuton was honored with the “Influential Woman in Trucking” award presented by the Women in Trucking Association.
“I’m a truck dealer who just happens to be a woman,” she says. “Thinking of yourself as different instead of looking for common ground will make it harder.”
After high school, Teuton earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Nicholls State University. She went on to earn a law degree from Loyola University, hoping that a legal background would be helpful in the family business while also seeking workplace equity. “Women’s equality was not where it is today in the 1980s,” she says. “We have come a long way.”
After several years of practicing law, Teuton transitioned her professional career to the retail auto and truck business in 1997. A perk of working in the family business was that Teuton could bring her daughter Victoria to the office with her. Teuton recalls returning to work when Victoria was an infant and having her nap under Teuton’s desk in a baby carrier. Teuton says she was also fortunate to have her own mother and mother-in-law close by to help with childcare, emphasizing that it often takes other unrecognized women to support a mother’s career path.
In 2004, Teuton and her husband purchased the Kenworth truck franchise. Becoming new owners shortly before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina led to unexpected challenges and opportunities for the couple. The business grew steadily over the years.
Today, Kenworth of Louisiana employs more than 380 people. Despite significant growth, Teuton says she and her husband still think like a small business when it comes to treating employees like family.
“We want to keep it that way,” she says.
Day to day, Teuton’s tasks range from high- to low-level responsibilities. “I am a problem solver, a confidant, a cheerleader and a mom,” Teuton says. “I’m also a founder, a janitor, a hostess, a recruiter and an accountant.”
While she says she feels blessed to have been recognized for her accomplishments over the years, she tries to use the occasions to shine a light on the opportunities available for women in the trucking industry.
“If women see other women in nontraditional careers, then they can imagine it as their possibility,” she says.
“Our industry is incredibly welcoming,” Teuton adds. “The opportunities are unlimited. We want financial equality, which can come from stepping outside of traditional jobs that often don’t pay as well. This industry is secure and offers income parity.”
From her involvement with American Truck Dealers, a division of the National Auto Dealers Association, she has heard from other dealers who are considering future leadership. “I’ve had more than one tell me, ‘I’ve changed my mind and chosen my daughter. I just needed to see somebody doing it,’” Teuton says. “It’s good to help open minds.”
Teuton’s love for the trucking industry runs deep. “Trucks touch everything,” she says. “Everything is brought by a truck. We take that for granted.”
This concept was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, she notes. When almost everything else shut down, trucks were essential, and dealerships kept their doors open as well.
“I’m so proud to be part of this,” she says. “Why did I choose it? Because my legacy was a gift.” ■
