SAYING THANK YOU TO JOHN CROXALL
When I think about Nextran’s 30th anniversary and all that’s been accomplished in that span of time, the word that comes to mind is family. It started when my father Marvin and I opened our first dealerships in 1993, and it now includes my wife Kelly, our daughters Christina and Alexandra, and over 1,300 men and women who are part of the Nextan family. In this issue of Open Road, we will take a look back at our 30-year journey and all the relationships we’ve formed with customers, communities, brand partners and each other.
This issue spotlights our 2023 Nextran Sales and Management Conference where we celebrated our 30th anniversary, but also focused on the road ahead. As you’ll find out, we are literally Super Charged with achieving our goals, increasing our commitment to customer service, and celebrating the people who have made this milestone possible.
Some of the highlights from the Sales and Management Conference were celebrating the Location and Salesperson of the Year, hearing the inspiring words from our keynote speaker, Derek Daly, and previewing the new Nextran website. I encourage you to visit the new NextranUSA.com to learn about everything Nextran has to offer.
In this issue, we’ll also get to know two of our employees, Christina
Comploier and Adam Barber, as well as one of our great customers in Atlanta, Waste Eliminator. Plus, there’s a whole lot more I look forward to you reading about.
As always, I really appreciate you taking the time to spend a few minutes with Open Road. I hope the excitement and enthusiasm we have for helping people and businesses grow – which has been a cornerstone of Nextran for 30 years – come shining through. Here’s to the next 30 years of keeping you moving forward!
Sincerely,
Jon W. Pritchett President and CEO Nextran Truck Centers
For Nextran Truck Centers 30th anniversary, were celebrating the people and partners who have made it possible.
It was an era of grunge music and flannel shirts. A time that saw Home Improvement and Seinfeld ruling the TV airwaves, while the Cowboys were crushing the Bills and Michael Jordan was three-peating. Meanwhile in Florida, a truck dealership was launched with a reimagined approach to customer service. Now, three decades later, Nextran Truck Centers marks its 30th anniversary with a year-long celebration of moving people, businesses, and communities forward.
In 1993, Jon Pritchett and his father Marvin Pritchett opened Nextran’s first two locations – one in Orlando and the other in Jacksonville, both offering Mack Trucks. It was the culmination of their vision to put the customer experience at the center of the organization, which they believed the industry was then lacking.
“My father and I had the unique perspective of owning Pritchett Trucking before starting the dealership, and I believe our deep understanding of our customers’ needs is what allowed us to grow Nextran,” Jon W. Pritchett, President and CEO of Nextran Truck Centers said. “Trucking is a very demanding business, and if you take your eyes off your customer, service can really suffer.”
That strict adherence to service helped us expand to Tampa the next year and add new brands, Volvo and GMC further diversifying our offerings. Four years later, Isuzu came on board bringing medium duty trucks. Then in 1999, a new dealership was opened in South Florida along with a facility in Lake City. But perhaps most significantly, Nextran was named the 1999 Mack Trucks North American Dealer of the Year, an award we would win three more times.
“Winning Dealer of the Year really established that our culture of service was having an impact,” says Jim Ussery, Nextran’s Executive Vice President of Operations. “It also showed us how important maintaining it was. We didn’t want to grow too fast and risk losing our service differentiator.”
Throughout the 2000s, we steadily added more locations and expanded into two more states, Georgia and Alabama. In 2016, we laid out our boldest plan yet - to expand outside the Southeast - which resulted in seven new dealerships across the Midwest and West. Today, Nextran is 25 dealerships strong, with locations stretching from Florida to Colorado.
Trucking is a very demanding business, and if you take your eyes off your customer, service can really suffer.
Jon W. Pritchett
Nextran President & CEO
“We’ve come a long way in 30 years,” says Charlie Brown, Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing. “But it’s the people who work here that deserve all the credit. The leadership team can have a vision, but if it isn’t adopted and carried out, it’s doomed to failure. Fortunately, we have the best people in the business here.”
What started with a handful of employees has grown to more than 1,300, all working together to help customers and each other, despite being located in different parts of the country and handling a wide range of brands.
“Since the beginning, we said we’ll have each other’s backs. We will support the men and women who represent Nextran,” says Kelly Pritchett, Vice President of Facility Design and Development. “It’s paid off. They are the reason we’re still here 30 years later.”
Another driver of Nextran’s growth has been our expansion of services, particularly our Rental and Leasing division.
“Customers’ needs have changed since 1993, and their businesses need flexibility,” says Bill Bradshaw, Executive Vice President of Rental and Leasing. “We realized this and met the industry where it was. One of the great things about it is there are so many options to make the customers happy.”
Providing outstanding service means maintaining a very strong partnership with our brands. Understanding their trucks and products inside and out gives Nextran the ability to put customers in the right vehicle. Today, our line-up features some of the best in the world: Mack Trucks, Volvo Trucks, GMC, Ford, Isuzu, Kalmar Ottawa and Hino.
“Mack Trucks has been with us since the start,” says Jon Pritchett. “It’s as much a celebration of 30 years with them as it is our company. Mack and Volvo are the heavy-duty heart and soul of Nextran. While we’ve been able to partner with other brands to address a range of customer needs, we can always count on Mack and Volvo. And they can always count on us.”
Nextran has a long history filled with major accomplishments and milestones to celebrate. And we’re celebrating it in style. Most notably, we’ve created a special commemorative logo, which you see here. It represents who we are as a company, its forward-leaning angle depicts the momentum accrued over 30 years. The logo’s rectangular shape is inspired by a tire track; this is a nod to the road we’ve traveled. But perhaps the biggest part of our 30th anniversary logo is the “1” found in the negative space of the “0 in 30”, represents our commitment to be the best for our customers. Just as it has always been.
We’re also recognizing employees in 2023 with the Nextran 30th Anniversary Employee Sweepstakes. Every month, we select one employee from each of our eight regions around the country and award them with a $530 prize.
Jon W. Pritchett
President & CEO
“Time and again, it’s our employees who have stepped up,” says Jon Pritchett “I couldn’t be prouder of them, and to give them some extra recognition is really special.”
Nextran began as a family company with Jon and his dad Marvin. After 30 years, familial involvement continues with Jon’s wife, Kelly, and their two daughters, Alexandra and Christina, working alongside him. However, everyone who works here is part of the Nextran family; a family that’s just as devoted to each other as we are to our customers. By carrying on that legacy of service, we have paved the way to an exciting future ahead. But right now it’s time to celebrate.
Time and again, it’s our employees who have stepped up.
I couldn’t be prouder of them, and to give them some extra recognition is really special.
Nextran
It is our mission to take excellent care of our customers. A big part of that includes having the most outstanding facilities in the trucking industry in order to provide an inviting and comfortable atmosphere. That dedication is on full display at our Miami location as we move into phase II of the renovation and redesign of the exterior and interior of the sales, administration, and parts sales buildings.
As one of our busiest locations in Florida, we upgraded Nextran Miami with a strong focus on both the customer and employee experience. Heading into phase II puts us one step closer to accomplishing that goal.
Kelly Pritchett Vice President of Facility Design and Development
At our retail parts entrance, we’re putting in a new ramp and stairs to improve accessibility. We’re also installing a new canopy to provide shelter from the Florida sun or afternoon rain. While phase I focused on remodeling the service reception area, service write-up area, and customer lounge, phase II focuses on our parts department and a complete remodeling of our sales and administration area. Soon our team will be able to enjoy new offices, an expansive breakroom, a brand-new training room, and improved restrooms. We are also completing updates to the parts storage area.
“The phase II renovation will be approximately 30,000 square feet,” states Jon Pritchett, Nextran President and CEO. “We’re transforming Miami into a state-of-the-art facility that will have a great impact on service.”
The renovations are scheduled to be completed later this year. We can’t wait to show off the upgrades that will provide you with an incredible customer and employee experience.
The phase II renovation will affect approximately
28,000 SQ. FT
Jon Pritchett Nextran President and CEO
The 26th dealership in the Nextran network is taking shape in Ocala, Florida. This critical location will serve the increasing traffic along I-75 and provide customers with an additional Nextran location, centrally located between Lake City, Orlando, and Tampa.
“We have had an eye on Ocala for quite some time as it represents an opportunity to better serve our customers,” says Nextran President Jon Pritchett. “I’m very excited to see such great progress and look forward to opening the new dealership in late 2024.”
The new location will repurpose an existing truck repair facility and add an architectural tower element and Nextran branded signage. We’ll also be adding a service reception canopy and making a service shop expansion to improve our customers’ experience.
Other sections of the current building are being reconfigured to ensure customers receive service that is up to Nextran’s standards. The total area of the new facility will exceed 46,000 square feet.
“There’s a lot of careful consideration that goes into the construction of a new dealership,” says Kelly Pritchett, Vice President of Facility Design and Development. “We are dedicated to enhancing both the exterior and interior of all of our facilities to focus on the employee and customer experience. Ocala will make a perfect addition to the continued expansion of our network.”
As work continues in Miami and Ocala, we will keep you updated in the future issues of Open Road.
These days, your website is the front door to your business. Every Google search sends customers to it. So, your site has to not only look sharp, but also needs to be user-friendly and communicate the story of your brand. Over the last several months, we’ve been meticulously developing NextranUSA.com to match our organization’s identity and emphasize our dedication to customer service.
Jim Ussery Executive VP of Operations
“We want to put customers in the right truck that fits their needs. Having everything integrated allows our sales team to locate that truck more efficiently,” says Charlie Brown,
Executive Vice President of Truck Sales.
The website has a few new bells and whistles that visitors will find extremely useful. The new site will feature a brand-new inventory system that updates by the minute to ensure our inventory has a strong online presence. It’s also a huge help to our sales staff, considering the numerous brands offered across our 25 dealerships.
Perhaps the first thing you’ll notice about our new site is how it looks. NextranUSA.com utilizes lots of white space to help the images of trucks and other products pop off the screen while still using our red and black brand colors as accents to guide customer navigation.
“When thinking about the appearance of our new site, while researching we were drawn to brands that used a clean approach to design and navigation,” says Stacey Scherer, Regional Marketing Director. “Our site was designed with those principles. Users can quickly find what they need in 1-2 clicks.”
While researching we were drawn to brands that used a clean approach to design and navigation. Our site was designed with those principles.
Stacey Scherer
Regional Marketing Director
Since the last major site update in 2015, Nextran has expanded to over 11 new locations. Ensuring our customers can easily contact one of our 25 dealerships to get their questions answered, find parts, or schedule maintenance was also a big priority while developing the new site. That’s why you’ll find help everywhere, whether you’re on a laptop or mobile device.
“People are searching for Nextran online for a reason. It could be to purchase a truck, get one repaired, or to find a part, and the site can help them,” says Jon Pritchett. “But the site also lets people know who we are as a company. What our culture is all about. How we are dedicated to the communities we serve. It really gives potential customers and employees a sense of how Nextran operates.”
To continue to bring great talent into the Nextran family, the site has a new, completely integrated HR system. Now resumes can be vetted more efficiently to expedite the interview and hiring process. Our people have always been our main strength, and now with this system, we can reach the best of the best in a very competitive job market.
If it hasn’t been evident enough already, we’re pretty proud of the new site. We encourage everyone to check it out by visiting NextranUSA.com.
Kansas City Isuzu Sales Manager, Adam Barber, can be described in four words: Leading from the front. That’s because Adam is a selling Sales Manager; he forms relationships with customers that will continue to help their businesses grow for years to come. For the last 26 years, that has been his style.
“You have to go out there and build that relationship,” says Adam. “And customers really appreciate it when their families are included. If we have tickets to the Royals game, we invite the customer and their spouse and/or kids. Not every place I’ve worked will do that. But Nextran puts that emphasis on family.”
Born in Wichita, Kansas, Adam has developed strong customer connections wherever he’s worked. And he’s been with a number of dealerships as both a salesman and a franchise owner. He knows medium-duty trucks inside and out, especially those made by Isuzu.
“It’s the best low cab forward truck out there. Isuzus are highly maneuverable and able to get into tight spaces such as alleyways in big cities like New York and L.A. They are versatile too and
can be used for everything from snow removal in the north to landscaping in Florida.”
Throughout his career, Adam has always preferred to work with family-owned dealerships as opposed to major corporations. This is why he decided to join Westfall O’Dell in 2014 to help increase its Isuzu sales. When Nextran purchased the Westfall O’Dell dealership, Adam was excited to be part of another family organization.
“The transition has been a blessing,” says Adam. “I’ve been through transitions before where it didn’t go smoothly or the culture wasn’t a good fit. I’ve only heard extremely positive things from people about Nextran.”
We’re blessed to have Adam’s experience and expertise. His approach to providing customer service and forging excellent relationships has helped us hit the ground running in the Kansas City market. And he will be a key to our success for years to come.
Growing up in a small town in Kentucky, Christina Comploier always looked ahead for opportunities to achieve something greater. That drive led her to South Florida in 1997 where she answered an ad for a clerical position with a company that would eventually become Nextran. Although she knew nothing about the trucking industry back then, Christina learned quickly.
“My grandma would always say to me that I asked too many questions,” says Christina with a smile. “I just want to know the ‘why’ for everything.”
That curious nature drove her to teach herself accounting, which convinced her managers to give her a shot in the credit department. Christina made the most of it, and her relentless effort helped collect a large sum of past-due balances within a short amount of time. In consideration of her potential, she was promoted to Credit Manager.
While Christina has a no-nonsense approach, she’s also extremely personable and can easily establish meaningful relationships.
“I’m a Chatty Cathy. I like to learn about people, especially our customers, and connect on a personal level. It shouldn’t be transactional.”
Christina, who in 2018 became our first female Parts Manager, enjoys being part of the Nextran family. And she takes that quite literally as her husband Jon serves as our Miami Shop Foreman. She’s also very proud to work for an organization dedicated to its employees.
“This is one of the few companies that will give you the tools that you need and will train you to make that job into a career and support you throughout it,” says Christina. “Francisco Blanco has always been in my corner. And so have several of the women here at Nextran, like Nanette Tool, Ileana Valdez, Norma Saiz, among many others. I’m so grateful.”
We’re grateful to have you here, Christina. Thank you for all you do to serve our customers and make Nextran an awesome workplace.
If you’ve ever driven past a construction site, you’ve probably noticed a ton of debris. After all, tearing down and erecting huge structures can be pretty messy. So where does all of that wood, steel, and other waste go? Into massive dumpsters. And it’s the job of waste management companies to collect it and properly dispose of it.
Since 2004, Waste Eliminator, headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia, has been doing just that. They have been hauling away debris from sites around Metro Atlanta and ensuring as much of it as possible is recycled, which of course is good for the environment. According to Waste Eliminator founder and Vice Chair of the Board, Wes Turner, it’s been the company mission since the beginning.
“Our focus is on sustainability,” says Turner. “We’ll take truck-loads of materials to one of our two transfer stations where we can sort out recyclable materials so they can be either resold or reused. It really helps our customers reduce their environmental impact.”
That dedication has fueled the company’s success. In just 19 years, Waste Eliminator has gone from a single truck and four dumpsters to now having a fleet of 120 Mack Trucks. While working with commercial construction and large general contractors is a core of its business, the company has expanded to many other industries.
We’ll take truck loads of materials to one of our two transfer stations where we can sort out recyclable materials so they can be either resold or reused. It really helps our customers reduce their environmental impact.
Wes Turner Waste Eliminator Founder and Vice Chair of the Board“We work with Mercedes Benz Stadium and the Georgia World Congress Center removing solid waste,” says Turner. “We recycle a lot of their food waste. We also contract with home builders, landscaping companies, and large farms. We’ve really diversified.”
One thing Waste Eliminators has worked to consolidate is where it purchases its trucks.
“For the last six years, we’ve bought exclusively from Nextran,” states Turner. “We have a great relationship with JR Bias. We buy all our parts there. Nextran makes sure our trucks are running, and that allows us to provide our customers with outstanding service.”
When it comes to maintenance, we go the extra mile for Wes and his team.
“We have one of Nextran’s technicians embedded in our team. He’s full time in the Waste Eliminator shop, handling repairs. He even trains our techs. We’re pretty happy, in fact, we’d like to possibly bring in a second tech. Also, when we need parts, Nextran is there. They make deliveries to us daily. Sometimes 3, 4, 5 times a day.”
Helping our customers assist their customers is what we’re all about, especially when their mission is to create a better future. We’re excited to continue providing trucks and service that will ensure Waste Eliminator achieves its goals and enjoys success for years to come.
Stepping into the ballroom of the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida, you could feel a buzz of excitement. The air had an energy that reflected the theme of this year’s Sales and Management Conference: SuperCharged. As in, we’re Super Charging toward our bold 2025 goals that were set at last year’s conference. Of course, this being Nextran’s 30th anniversary also provided an extra shot of adrenaline.
Over 200 guests, including the executive and leadership teams and sales-people, attended the conference on April 6th. But there were some other special attendees too.
“We were excited to have some of our brand partners from Mack and Volvo join us for the Sales and Management Conference,” says Nextran Truck Centers, President and CEO Jon Pritchett. “It was an honor to have the President, Mack Trucks North America, Jonathan Randall, and President, Volvo Trucks North America, Peter Voorhoeve, make the trip to Orlando. Overall, the meeting was very productive and I’m looking forward to the year ahead.”
To kick off the meeting, Nextran’s President and CEO, Jon Pritchett provided a progress update on Nextran’s 2025 strategic plan. Further, Executive Vice President of Operations, Jim Ussery, Executive Vice President of
Truck Sales, Aimee Quick, Vice President of Accounting, and Senior Director of Sales for Rental and Leasing, Paul Brown, provided updates on company performance. Additionally, Josh Ussery, Operations Business Development Manager, and Todd Brown, General Manager of Nextran Orlando, moderated panel discussions focused on parts and truck sales. Todd Wickstrum, Nextran’s new Director of E-Mobility, Business Development, also shared a glimpse of the future of the industry and Nextran’s role in it.
We were fortunate to have Derek Daly, a world class Formula One and Indy 500 driver, deliver the keynote address. His speech fit right with the SuperCharged theme as he spoke about how effort, drive, and fortitude are what fuel success.
“Derek’s a Hall of Fame driver who’s been in the heat of competition, so he knows what it takes to win. His focus on building a ‘culture of extraordinary’ reinforced many of our own strategies and was a good reminder to not take that culture for granted.”
Two other highlights from the conference were the unveiling of Nextran’s new website by Ryan Frankel, President of our marketing partner Frankel, and Stacey Scherer, Nextran Regional Marketing Director, and a special 30th Anniversary video that captured the spirit of our company and mission.
“We’ve come a long way, but we’ve stayed true to who we are and I was so proud to see that in our 30th Anniversary video,” says Kelly Pritchett, Vice President of Facility Design and Development, who also provided the attendees with an update on Nextran’s facilities. “It was really well done. I got choked up watching it. In fact, we ended up playing it again right before the awards show.”
After the 30th Anniversary video made its encore performance, the award show kicked off. Our Tuscumbia dealership was named Location of the Year and Macon received the Rental and Leasing Location of the Year. The Salesperson of the Year award went to Roy Young from our Kansas City dealership. Then the whole team gathered for an after party in the lobby to round out the evening.
“Last year, we put together an ambitious plan to hit some big milestones by 2025,” said Charlie Brown. “So far, we’ve made some incredible progress. If we all keep working hard, I have no doubt we’ll get there.”
We’ve come a long way, but we’ve stayed true to who we are and I was so proud to see that in our 30th Anniversary video. It was really well done. I got choked up watching it. In fact, we ended up playing it again right before the awards show.
Kelly Pritchett Vice President of Facility Design and Development
“As we’ve said all along, Nextran is about family,” said Jon Pritchett. “I see these Sales and Management conferences as the family getting to celebrate, not just what we’ve achieved, but what all we’re going to accomplish for our organization and for our customers.”
While our SuperCharged Sales and Management Conference was a celebration of our remarkable 30-year journey, it also set the tone for the road ahead. And just as our President and CEO mentioned at the end of the 30th Anniversary video: You haven’t seen anything yet!
Nextran is about family.
I I see the Sales and Management conferences as the family getting to celebrate, not just what we’ve achieved, but what all we’re going to accomplish.
Jon W. Pritchett Nextran President & CEO
Keeping a promise to your customer to deliver on time is the key to success in the trucking industry. But sometimes, the road has other plans and trucks may need repairing for one reason or another. Just because your truck is down doesn’t mean you have to let a customer down. Our Certified Uptime process gives you the info you need, almost immediately, to figure out what the next steps are in order to make good on your promise.
the initiative was simple: Diagnose the issue with a truck as fast as possible to determine whether a quick repair could be performed. If a major problem was detected, we could let the customer know immediately so they could send another truck, or figure out another way to get the job done.
Now, eight years later, we’ve improved our Certified Uptime capabilities and spread it across our network.
Ryan Bennett Operations Manager - Tampa
Within 45 minutes, we’ll plug into the truck to pull all the data. Then, in the next 45 minutes, we can make an assessment if it will be an Uptime repair.
“Within 45 minutes, we’ll plug into the truck to pull all the data,” says Ryan Bennett, Operations Manager in Nextran’s Tampa dealership. “Then in the next 45 minutes, we can make an assessment if it will be an Uptime repair. That means getting it into a special service bay with a crew ready to go to get it fixed now so it can be back on the road as soon as possible. Hopefully on the same day.”
“Across the Nextran network, 21 locations are currently Uptime Certified. About 65% of all repairs are 4 hours or less,” says Tim O’Connor, Nextran Director, Service Operations. “If we can get them back on the road quickly, that says a lot about Nextran and the Volvo and Mack brands.”
However, the process isn’t exclusive to Mack and Volvo.
“We’ve adopted this process for all units that come in our shops,” says Bennett. “We use the same process for Isuzu, Hino, Rental and Leasing, anything that comes in for repair.”
Uptime also applies to electric trucks, although there aren’t that many on the road (yet.) We have two techs per location specifically trained to work on electric vehicles and we’re regionally certified to support EV units through our Uptime process. Our Certified Uptime dealerships are now prepared to handle the EV revolution that continues to pick up speed.
As far as the future of Certified Uptime is concerned, things are only going to get better according to O’Connor, who is also on the Dealer Service Advisory Council to Volvo.
“We’re exploring new software applications and tools to make it easier and faster to check-in a truck,” says O’Connor. “For example, Volvo is piloting a wireless module that will be easier to use. Within the estimating tool, they are working to make the check-in process more streamlined and intuitive.”
“Eventually, when a truck enters our location, Volvo’s software will automatically pull the vehicle information and fault code data and give us what we need to start the repair estimate. The goal is to keep making improvements until we cut the check-in time in half.”
As Mack and Volvo continue to evolve and streamline their Certified Uptime process, Nextran will offer its feedback and support at every step. We have a strong team in place, from foremen to advisors, techs, and service managers, who are just as dedicated to the process as they are the customer.
Instead of using an expensive and delicate wired module to download the info, a wireless module is being developed.
Tim O’Connor Director, Service Operations
At At Nextran, we’ve had our fair share of proud achievements. And you’ll find several of them in our 30th Anniversary article which appears in this edition of Open Road. But one we’re particularly proud of is our Rental and Leasing business. Not only has it been beneficial to our company, but it’s allowed us to serve our customers better than ever. Now, we’re bringing it to Kansas City.
The first move was to put an experienced team in place to get the ball rolling. That meant promoting Kelsey Trimarchi to Western Regional Sales Manager and relocating her from our Orlando, FL Rental and Leasing corporate office to Kansas City, MO.
“Our Rental Services in Kansas City went from zero trucks to thirty, and the fleet is still growing,” Trimarchi said. “We offer a range of vehicles including sleepers, day cabs and straight trucks. We’ve even added a few Kalmar Ottawas to help expand the business.”
According to Bill Bradshaw, Nextran Vice President of Rental and Leasing, it has been a total team effort.“I can’t emphasize the support and cooperation from the top down of this organization to get Rental and Leasing in Kansas City up and running,” Bradshaw stated. “I appreciate the leadership of our General Manager in Kansas City, James Neu, and the tireless
effort of our entire team. Also, Regional Marketing Director, Stacey Scherer, and her marketing folks are always coming up with great ideas to introduce the service, and the sales team has been providing leads and familiarizing their customers with Rental and Leasing.”
The response from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. Especially those from the Southeast, where Rental and Leasing has been in place for years, who run through the Midwest. They’re happy to have a familiar name that they can count on.
Another first for Kansas City and for Nextran has been offering Kalmar Ottawas. And apparently, it’s a hit. “The minute they came in, they were bid out,” Trimarchi said. “Customers definitely have a need and we’re constantly ordering Kalmar Ottawas to fill it. Growing the business while helping our customers is a win-win.”
Kansas City is only the beginning of our Rental and Leasing expansion in the Midwest as there are plans to offer Rental and Leasing in Denver next year. By working hard, listening to our customers and taking care of their needs, we have no doubt it will be just as much of a success.
Over the length of his career in the trucking industry, John Croxall has done just about everything. It all started 45 years ago at the Mack Sales Dealership in Tampa (which would later become Nextran Tampa) with John washing trucks and helping out around the dealership. Soon, John began rising up the ranks to take on various accounting leadership positions. After Nextran purchased the dealership in 1994, he became the Controller. John was then promoted to Regional Controller followed by Operations Manager before taking on his latest role as General Manager of Tampa.
“My favorite memories start off when the Tampa Mack franchise was acquired by the Pritchett family,” Croxall said. “Being able to basically keep our whole team intact pre-Nextran and quickly realize we would have the financial stability of ownership was great. The intention has always been to do the right thing, whether with customers or employees.”
John has been in the Tampa location since 1978, and with Nextran since 1994. He has played an active role in supporting the opening of other dealerships in Lake City and Auburndale, and was heavily involved in integrating the Volvo brand in Tampa. His service to the company has certainly been appreciated.
“John is regarded as a respected leader, and his work and dedication to Nextran have contributed significantly to our continued success in Tampa,” noted Jon W. Pritchett, Nextran President and CEO.
“I want to thank John for his hard work and dedication over the years. His knowledge, experience and leadership will be missed.”
So, what does “riding off into the sunset” look like? For John and his wife Lynnie, it involves becoming a snowbird and playing 18 holes whenever possible. In other words, he is going to live the dream.
“In retirement…my wife and I will travel back and forth between Florida and Ohio, which is where we are from,” Croxall said. “We will get to spend time with our families…and reap the benefits of staying out of winters up north and the sometimes oppressive heat from the summers in Florida.”
Looking back, John has a lot of fond memories.
It has been a phenomenal journey with the overall stability and camaraderie that Nextran has provided. I feel very blessed to be part of this team.
John Croxall, General Manager, Tampa“It has been a phenomenal journey with the overall stability and camaraderie that Nextran has provided. I feel very blessed to be part of this team.”
You will always be a part of the Nextran family, John. We look forward to hearing about your triumphs on the golf course. Enjoy your retirement.
45 YEARS IN TRUCKING, OUR GENERAL MANAGER OF TAMPA, JOHN CROXALL, IS ENTERING INTO RETIREMENT.