Rihm Kenworth Breaks Ground on New Facilities in South St. Paul and Coon Rapids (news release courtesy Rihm Kenworth)
Rihm Kenworth recently broke ground on new facilities in South St. Paul and Coon Rapids, where the family-owned business will sell and service The World’s Best® Kenworth trucks. Rihm Kenworth is the second oldest continually operated Kenworth dealer in the world.
The new facilities will accommodate the company’s recent growth. Rihm Kenworth’s parent company Rihm Family Companies (RFC) kicked off its 85th anniversary in January by acquiring LTX, Inc., which owns Lawrence Leasing Inc., the operator of Lawrence NationaLease – a commercial truck leasing company with 15 locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
As a result of the acquisition, RFC’s workforce totals more than 300 employees and operates at 21 locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
Rihm Kenworth’s new location in South St. Paul at Concord Boulevard and Armour Street totaling 68,000-square-feet will serve as Rihm Kenworth’s new headquarters and offer sales, parts and service.
Rihm Kenworth - South St. Paul Rendering
The new full-service location in Coon Rapids near Highways 610 and 47 totaling 75,000-square-feet will also feature a body shop with state-of-the-art paint capabilities.
Rihm Kenworth - Coon Rapids Rendering
Both facilities will include Rihm PacLease operations under the Lawrence Leasing umbrella. Lawrence Leasing is currently being renamed Rihm Leasing to align with the parent company’s brand and identity.
The groundbreaking ceremonies featured remarks by representatives from Rihm Kenworth, the project’s construction company R.J. Ryan, and local officials.
“We are excited to be expanding to the South St. Paul and Coon Rapids communities,” said Kari Rihm, president and CEO of RFC. “We are thrilled to break ground on these facilities, which will allow us to improve our service and offerings for our loyal customers throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.”
Construction of both facilities will run on concurrent schedules, with openings scheduled by the end 2017. There will be no changes to the company’s other facilities in Minnesota (Albert Lea, Sauk Centre, Lake Elmo, and Bemidji) or its Superior, Wisconsin, facility.
About Rihm Family Companies, Inc.
Rihm Motor Company (dba Rihm Kenworth), which was established in 1932, has been a dealer for Kenworth since 1949. Its parent company Rihm Family Companies, Inc. (RFC) was formed in 2016. A multi-generation, family-owned business, Rihm is celebrating 85 years in business. The company will employ more than 300 people and operate at 22 total locations by the end of 2017. RFC’s subsidiary RMC Truck Parts, LLC was formed in 2016. It ships truck parts globally and delivers them locally in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. President and CEO Kari Rihm is the proud recipient of the Influential Woman in Trucking Award and Minnesota Family Business Award, is a 2017 inductee into the Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame, and is a 2017 finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Upper Midwest Competition. For more information, visit rihmkenworth.com.