NorCal Kenworth recently relocated to a new full-service facility in San Leandro, Calif., that serves as its corporate headquarters and offers enhanced customer support.

NorCal Kenworth-Bay Area is a full-service, 44,000 square-foot facility. The dealership is located in an industrial area near the Oakland International Airport, less than a mile southwest of the U.S. Interstate 880 and 98th Avenue interchange.

The dealership features a 20,000-square-foot service department with 10 service bays, including a wash bay and a bay dedicated to Kenworth PremierCare ExpressLube and AC preventive maintenance services and VIS-Check. The service department is equipped with a 5-ton overhead crane allowing technicians to easily service and replace engines and other heavy components. The dealership also offers an on-site body shop and a well-stocked parts department, with 50 percent additional storage space than it had at its previous location to keep more parts on hand.

According to Harry Mamizuka, NorCal Kenworth dealer principal, this is one of the few Northern California dealers dedicated to helping customers in their efforts to go green. The dealership offers a full line of green products, including the Kenworth T270 and T370 hybrid diesel-electric models and Kenworth T800 powered by liquefied natural gas, and can also retrofit the W900S model for compressed natural gas operation, he said, noting that a full range of federal and state grants, rebates and incentives are available for Kenworth hybrid and LNG trucks.

"We also install a full line of aftermarket diesel particulate filters (DPFs) and have re-powered trucks from mechanical to electric engines," Mamizuka said.

Mamizuka said NorCal Kenworth intends for its San Leandro location to be known throughout Northern California as a green dealership that not only offers green products, but also for the incorporation of eco-friendly measures in its operation.

"That's why we've invested in upgrading the shop, warehouse and exterior lighting. For example, we installed an LED architectural lighting system that keeps the building's exterior well lit, and uses a fraction of the electricity compared to standard lighting," he said. "We've also installed a water reclamation system in the truck bay wash that will save on water consumption."

The new location is equipped with the latest in technology, which allows employees to keep better track of parts inventory, service and body shop repair order status and helps provide Kenworth customers with fast and efficient service. The new technology also provides drivers wireless Internet access in the customer lounge, so that they can catch up on paperwork while their trucks are being serviced.

NorCal Kenworth also has locations in Anderson, Eureka, Gilroy, and Sacramento, Calif.