Truck Centers, Inc., which operates a family-owned network of Freightliner/Western Star/Sprinter dealerships in Illinois, Missouri, and southern Indiana, has agreed to purchase the assets of Indiana-based Hill Truck Sales, Inc.

The addition of the two Hill dealerships, in South Bend and Elkhart, expands TCI’s 45-year-old dealer network into northern Indiana. The Hill acquisition adds to the company’s existing nine full-service dealerships, two auxiliary locations and one on-site customer parts facility. The deal also gives Troy, Ill.-based TCI a fourth collision center.

“Allen and Dave Hill have cultivated a strong team in their 54 years of business serving northern Indiana and we are looking forward to continuing their legacy as well as adding our like-minded commitment to customer service, expansive resources, and the assets of our larger network to make this a successful pairing not only for our new employees but also our customers in South Bend, Elkhart, and surrounding communities,” stated John Hopkins, Chairman and CEO of Truck Centers, Inc.

“The South Bend and Elkhart locations will remain under the current leadership including Dennis Ziolkowski and department managers, so team members will continue normal business operations for continuity and seamless customer service,” added Hopkins.  

Tyler Yates, of the TCI leadership team, will also be relocating to the area to help integrate the Hill operations into that of Truck Centers.

Yates, a veteran employee, has worked over the years in parts delivery, and warehousing, as a service advisor, as assistant GM, and, most recently, in outside service sales. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from William Woods University as well as having graduated from the ATD Truck Dealer Academy.

TCI also noted that Dave Hill will work closely with the management team “to ensure a smooth transition into the next phase of the business’s growth while retaining the service that our mutual customers are accustomed to.”

“While we are leaving a key part of who we are in the company that we developed over the last five decades, we are happy to leave our valued employees and customers in good hands,” said Hill, the second-generation owner of Hill Truck Sales.