Hermiston and La Grande, OR

Valley Freightliner, Inc. (VFI) acquired Eagle Freightliner in Hermiston and La Grande, Oregon in July 2015 and in only seven short months achieved Elite Support recertification at both of the newly acquired locations. This marks the third successful recertification for the Eagle Freightliner locations. Currently, three out of four of the Eastern Washington and Oregon locations are Elite Support certified, with their location in Yakima, WA in the process of achieving this high standard as well. Eagle’s certification was a testament to a lot of hard work and flexibility as the Eagle employees were working not only on maintaining the Elite Support standard, but also working to integrate into VFI’s new processes.

“Elite Support has shown us how to tackle and systematically approach challenges, change and opportunities,” says Bob Kautz, Eagle Freightliner’s Continuous Improvement Coordinator. “Our recent recertifications are a testament to how the employees have fully embraced being dedicated to providing a world class customer experience.”

This recertification also marks a transition in the Continuous Improvement Coordinator’s role at Eagle Freightliner. Bob Kautz was passed the torch from Randy Gibson, who is taking on new responsibilities as an outside parts sales expert. Randy has done an excellent job integrating the continuous improvement culture into the Eagle Freightliner locations.

Both of Eagle’s locations in Hermiston and La Grande are easily accessible off of I-84 and both boasting spacious and comfortable customer lounges with free Wi-Fi, business work stations, large screen TVs, a variety of vending options and a shuttle to restaurants and lodging. In addition to the plush customer amenities, both locations also have newly remodeled parts showrooms and improved inventory, fresh new and used truck inventory and a staff dedicated to providing a world class customer experience.

“We take Elite Support very seriously and take a lot of pride in the improvements we’ve made thus far,” said Jerrad Avery, Operations Manager. “We realize we have more work ahead of us and are eager to do whatever it takes to improve our customers’ experience with us. We always welcome feedback on how we can improve our operations and appreciate all of the support we’ve been given.”