Company History

Vanguard Truck Centers was founded in 1989 by Tom Graddy with the purchase of a Class 8 Mack Truck dealership in Minneapolis, Minnesota from Mack Corporate. Mr. Graddy began his career with Mack in 1976 as a sales trainee in Dallas, TX and was selected to participate in the OEM's management development program soon thereafter. Upon advancing to a dealership manager position in Atlanta in 1984 and winning Mack's 'Top Bulldog' award, Mr. Graddy was recognized as a rising star by Mack's senior leadership. As Mack embarked on a strategy to convert its dealership system from company owned to franchised locations, Mr. Graddy was extended an opportunity to purchase a dealership on attractive, seller financed terms. Despite the availability of a number of opportunities closer to his Atlanta home, Mr. Graddy's unwavering focus on the financial return profile of a prospective acquisition led him to forego more convenient alternatives in favor of Minneapolis—a location with strong historical profitability and growth potential.