116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Thompson Truck and Trailer completes new Cedar Rapids headquarters
CEDAR RAPIDS - Thompson Truck and Trailer has completed construction on its new Cedar Rapids headquarters this month, and plans to be operational in its new space early next week.
The Cedar Rapids commercial truck dealership facility at 7820 Sixth St. SW, which is approximately 71,500 square feet, is about two and a half times bigger than its previous facility, said Dennis Thompson, founder and CEO of Thompson Truck and Trailer, Inc.
'Our other facility was built in the early 1950s,” Thompson said. 'I started there in 1974 and it was worn out then.”
Officials broke ground on the project in November 2015. Thompson said the dealership plans to move into the space this weekend, and will be open for business by Monday.
With the move, Thompson Truck will hire between 10 and 12 more employees as technicians and sales associates, Thompson said.
The project, which Thompson said cost several million dollars to construct, houses all the company's departments under one roof, including its body shop, service department and administrative offices. The previous headquarters was housed across three buildings.
When planning the new facility, Thompson said managers visited other truck dealerships across the country, hoping to combine the best features for their own space.
The new facility includes a 19,500 square foot body shop that can house 12 trucks, and a nearly 28,000 square foot service department that can hold 22 trucks with machinery. The best features, Thompson said, include heated floors and air conditioning in the service department and body shop.
'Not only is it going to make the technicians more efficient ...
, but our utilities will be in a better space,” Thompson said.
Thompson said the move also enables the dealership - now located near Interstate 380 - to be closer to its competition and to attract customers.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance is set for sometime this spring. A customer open house will be scheduled for the summer, according to a news release from the dealership Tuesday.
l Comments: (319) 368-8536; michaela.ramm@thegazette.com
Thompson Truck and Trailer, Inc. opened its new facility this month at 7820 Sixth St. SW in Cedar Rapids. The commercial truck dealership, which began work on the project in November of 2015, will be operational within the new facility by Monday, Jan. 9. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Thompson)
Thompson Truck and Trailer, Inc. plans to be operational within its new Cedar Rapids headquarters at 7820 Sixth St. SW by Monday, Jan. 9. The 71,520 square foot space will house all of the dealership's departments in one building, including a wash bay pictured here. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Thompson)
Thompson Truck and Trailer, Inc. opened its new headquarters in Cedar Rapids this month at 7820 Sixth St. SW near Interstate 380. The commercial truck dealership hopes to be operational within the new facility by Monday, Jan. 9. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Thompson)
The Cedar Rapids-based Thompson Truck and Trailer, Inc. plans to be operational within its new headquarters at 7820 Sixth St. SW by Monday, Jan. 9. The 71,520 square foot space will house all of the dealership's departments, including the body shop pictured here. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Thompson)
Daily Newsletters