Rush Enterprises officially opened a brand new dealership Wednesday on the west side of Oklahoma City with a ribbon cutting, product fair and barbeque lunch for dignitaries, guests and employees.

The large facility will support sales and servicing of Peterbilt, Hino, GMC and Isuzu trucks beginning June 7, replacing the old dealership two miles east along Interstate 40.

Festivities included dedication of an access road in honor of the late Melvin Young, a long-time truck technician who was the first recipient of the company's Excellence Award in 2004. Young passed away in 2007 after battling cancer. His widow, Betsy, and three of their children were present to see the road named Melvin Young Boulevard by the dealership's general manager, Michael Mayer.

W. Marvin Rush, founder and chairman, and W.M. "Rusty" Rush, president and CEO of Rush Enterprises, participated in the ceremonies, as did members of the company's board of directors and management team, plus area elected representatives. An oversized red ribbon marking the facility's opening was cut by U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin, a GOP member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, who thanked the Rushes "for building this wonderful facility and creating so many jobs here in Oklahoma."

The new Rush Truck Center - Oklahoma City sits on 21 acres with 115,000 square feet under roof, including 20,000 square feet of parts-inventory storage, and 35 service bays with three alignment bays. Twenty body shop bays support a state-of-the-art paint booth large enough to refinish a tractor and trailer. There's also a 1,500-square-foot drivers lounge with showers, laundry facilities, flat-screen TV and overstuffed easy chairs, beverages, work tables and wireless access. All buildings including service bays are air conditioned.

Rush Enterprises, founded by Marvin Rush 45 years ago, owns and operates commercial vehicle dealerships in 14 southern and western states. It claims to be the largest Peterbilt dealer in the U.S., and recently added International outlets. Other brands include Ford and UD trucks, Blue Bird and IC buses, and John Deere construction equipment, and it sells a variety of used trucks and equipment. It has a large parts and equipment sales organization, does mobile service inside and outside its sales areas, and provides financing, leasing and rentals.