MCLEAN, Va. — Custom Truck Sales president Brent Leach has been nominated for Truck Dealer of the Year by the American Truck Dealers (ATD).  The winner will be announced at the 49^th annual ATD Convention and Expo in Las Vegas Feb. 4.

Leach started in truck retailing after high school, working in the parts department of the business begun by his father and grandfather in 1965. He continued to work in the parts department during summer breaks from college. And after receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Saskatchewan, he returned to install and operate its first dealer business system.

Soon Leach was appointed the company’s controller. In 1986, when the dealership opened its third location in Winnipeg, Leach joined his two brothers and a branch manager to become a partner in that dealership. He retained his responsibilities as corporate controller for the Saskatchewan operation and also became corporate controller for the new dealership. In 2001, the two companies merged and Leach became president and CFO.

“Our longevity is due to the outstanding people we have in our organization. We have maintained our major fleet accounts for over 25 years while keeping our smaller accounts for as long as 40 years,” says Leach. “We have increased our market penetration into all sectors of the industry, selling trucks to customers in diverse fields including oil field, construction, agricultural, forestry, mining and over-the-road.”

Custom Truck Sales has received a number of awards for outstanding performance from Kenworth. The dealership was named North American Dealer of the Year in both 1997 and 2007, and received Gold Awards in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 for its rankings as a Top 5 dealer in overall performance for Kenworth for North America.

An active member of his community, Leach served as a board member of the Victorian Order of Nurses from 1990-1992 and as a volunteer coach for the Hockey Regina organization from 2001-2009. The dealership also has donated funds to support after-school activities at a local school, including many sports. Leach says his most meaningful contribution has been made through coaching hockey.

“As a volunteer coach you become responsible for the development of children’s skills and attitudes in teamwork and competition; when you see them succeed it is very rewarding,” he says.

Nominees for the award are evaluated on several categories, including dealership performance, civic contributions and industry leadership. The winner and runner-up will be chosen by a panel of professors from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.