DARTMOUTH, N.S. – East Coast International Trucks (ECI) has changed ownership.

David Lockhart, the company’s new owner has more than 16 years experience in the truck OEM business and is a native to Atlantic Canada.

Lockhart is launching a new look for the company and a new customer-focused value system where he says “mutual success is mandatory.”

“When a customer invests in an East Coast International piece of equipment, we are not just the seller, we are now part of their business,” said Lockhart. “Finding creative ways to keep our customers’ wheels on the road is our mandate.”

Prior to joining ECI, Lockhart purchased Provincial Western Star in 1997 and then Evangeline Truck assets in 2001, which together created Lockhart Truck Centre. Lockhart sold this dealership before becoming a part of ECI.

Lockhart said ECI will focus on providing customers with maximum uptime. “Time is a critical component; when a customer’s truck goes down, we need to find creative ways to get them up and running faster than ever,”  he said. “If our customers aren’t out on the road making money, then we aren’t holding up our end of the partnership.”

“It’s my goal to align the ECI sales team directly with their customer,” said Lockhart. “They will not only take the time to understand every customer’s business and their unique challenges, but they will be motivated to advocate on behalf of the customer for the best possible solution.”

ECI is also investing in staff, by encouraging and providing resources for a health and wellness lifestyle from the top down, the company announced.

“A company is only as strong as its staff and its customer loyalty,” concluded Lockhart. “We are building a dedicated team at ECI that will be here for the duration to surpass the needs of each and every customer.”

Lockhart also plans to expand ECI that currently has four dealerships in Moncton, Dartmouth, Saint John and Truro.