As we began thinking about this article to celebrate Wheels' Diamond Anniversary, we asked two much-lauded, retired Wheels executives, Dennis LaLiberty and Ted Less, both of whom joined the company in 1958, to give us their unique perspectives on the companys culture.
Less, whose initial mission at the company was to create a truck engineering department, retired in 1995 as Senior Vice President of Client Relations. He said, Wheels was founded on two pillars: service and ethics. He continued, Going to work was fun; everyone was treated like family. Calling founder Zollie Frank a "tremendous visionary," Less's respect and admiration for the three-generation Frank family leadership is prodigious.
LaLiberty, a trainee when he was hired, retired in 2002 as Vice President of International Marketing. He said, "It was a pleasure to work at the company and I learned a lot in my years there, not only about the industry but how to treat clients, how to deal with and develop employees, and how consistent attention to client service and communication create an environment for respect and success.
LaLiberty continued: After a brief pause to celebrate the occasion, I suspect that Wheels management and employees would echo the old Al Jolson line, You aint seen nothing yet!
So, how did it all start? And what does Dan Frank say about the company's focus in the future?
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