Dave Laird has been promoted to the position of president of Pape Kenworth, the trucking division of the Pape Group.

Laird has been serving as vice president of Oregon operations for the trucking arm.

"Dave has always been focused on the needs of the customer and continues to demonstrate the Pape value of service to Kenworth customers throughout Oregon," said Chris Wetle, current president of both Pape Kenworth and Pape Material Handling.

Laird's advancement will allow Wetle to focus on the material handling side, while still assuming an advisory role within the trucking division.

Prior to joining the trucking arm, Laird was general manager of Pape Material Handling in Portland, Ore. He served on the Hyster Dealer Council for eight years, earning the Dealer of Distinction designation every year during that time. In his most recent position, Laird has contributed to finalizing a number of large fleet sales with Kenworth.

"One of my goals is to increase our focus on the fleet side of the trucking business while maintaining service levels for our customers on the traditional vocational side of the business," Laird said.