Arrow Truck Sales Inc is celebrating its 60th year as a retailer of used, heavy-, and medium-duty trucks and trailers in North America.
The company was founded in April 1950 as a small used-truck lot in Kansas City MO by business partners Jerry Nerman and the late Melvin Spitcaufsky. They started their dealership with a total investment of $8,000 between the two partners. Arrow has since grown and prospered into 19 retail stores in the United States and Canada—including the recent opening of two new retail stores in Denver CO and Minneapolis MN.
In the ‘50s and ‘60s, the company did well, primarily wholesaling trucks. By the early ‘70s, business had expanded rapidly. Current headquarters in Kansas City was built in 1977. Entry into the retail business took place in the 1980s, and the first retail store opened in Atlanta GA in 1984. In 1990, Arrow launched its own finance company, Transport Funding. The Volvo Group purchased 50% ownership of the company in November 1998 and completed acquisition in January 2001. Carl Heikel was named chief executive officer and president in 2004 and continues in that role.
In February 2010, founder Jerry Nerman celebrated his 90th birthday and announced that he was retiring after 60 years. Nerman said he was retiring “to pursue other interests,” which include dedicating more time to his contemporary art collection and with the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art on the Johnson County Community College campus in Overland Park KS.
To celebrate this milestone, corporate and branch events will take place, including customer and vendor appreciation events this summer in Kansas City. Special finance and promotional programs are also being developed.
Visit www.arrowtruck.com to learn more.