Richard Reynolds, president of Peach State Truck Centers in Norcross, Ga., has been named the 2018 Truck Dealer of the Year. This national award recognizes commercial truck dealers for business performance, industry leadership, and community service and is presented by American Truck Dealers, Heavy Duty Trucking magazine, and Procede Software.

Reynolds received the award on March 23 at a ceremony during the 2018 ATD Show in Las Vegas.

"There are 600 sets of fingerprints on this award today that belong to all of our employees,” said Reynolds at the ceremony. "There are two people who should be here to accept this award, my father and my brother, who have both passed. This great honor is a beautiful way to honor my father and brother's memories."

Reynolds joined Peach State Truck Centers in 1995 as a second shift service advisor, holding service, warranty, and leasing roles. He graduated from the ATD Dealer Academy and moved into strategic project leadership and was appointed president in 2007.  He has invested 22 years of his career as a truck dealer, representing Freightliner, Western Star, and Ford Trucks.

Under Reynolds' leadership, Peach State has grown from a single Ford and Sterling dealership to seven separate brands with 11 locations in Georgia and Alabama, 180 service bays, and total annual sales of $1 billion.

Reynolds was one of seven nominees for the award, operating in 18 different states and representing 10 different truck OEM brands. Nominees were selected by state, metro, and national association leaders. A panel of professors from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business evaluated the nominees on dealership performance, industry leadership, civic contributions, and community service.

This year’s runner-up Finalist was John Arscott, CEO of The Pete Store in Baltimore, Maryland. The Pete Store operates 14 locations in seven states, stretching from Massachusetts to Georgia.

The other five nominees for this year’s award were:

• Joseph Alosa Sr., president/CEO of New England Kenworth in Concord, N.H.

• Mark Bergey, president of Bergey’s Truck Centers in Souderton, Pa.

• Jon Vandehey, president/CEO of Mid-State Truck Service in Marshfield, Wis.

• Lee White II, president of Old River Companies in South Richland, Miss.

• Craig Young, president of Young Truck Sales in Canton, Ohio

Read what all seven nominees have to say about dealer trends affecting fleets in the April issue of Heavy Duty Trucking magazine.