DYERSVILLE, Iowa — A Dubuque-based company known for serving the trucking industry soon will open a new location in Dyersville.
Truck Country plans to open a truck parts and service center at 1551 15th Ave. SE this summer, according to Jennifer Hornsby, marketing director for Truck Country’s parent company, McCoy Group.
She said the additional location will allow the business to meet growing demand and provide added convenience for existing customers in that portion of Dubuque County.
“We had a lot of customers out in that area, and we viewed this as an opportunity to better serve them,” she said. “It made sense for us to look at a second location in the western half of the county.”
Hornsby noted that the location, which is right along U.S. 20, will provide high visibility for the business and easy access for customers.
Truck Country continues to operate a location at 3201 U.S. 61 in Dubuque. That location also conducts truck sales, a service that won’t be offered in Dyersville, Hornsby said.
She said Truck Country aims to hire eight to 12 people to work at the Dyersville location. These hires will include a wide variety of positions, such as service technicians and parts personnel.
Truck Country’s arrival also will breathe new life into a building that has largely remained empty since its previous occupant, All American Homes, abruptly closed its Dyersville location in 2016. The departure of the modular home company resulted in the elimination of 81 local jobs, a loss that still hits home for local leaders.
Karla Thompson, executive director of Dyersville Area Chamber of Commerce, acknowledged that it hasn’t been easy to replace those lost jobs or fill the vacant building.
She said portions of the vast structure often are used for agricultural equipment auctions, but much of it has gone unused.
“(The arrival of Truck Country) is great for the community,” she said. “It brings additional jobs and fills up a partially vacant building.”
Truck County will occupy the western portion of the property, Hornsby said.
She noted that everything from truck bays to office space must be added to the space. Hornsby said Truck County does not have a specific opening date in mind, noting that renovations and construction only recently started.
Truck Country and McCoy Group collectively employ more than 300 people in Dubuque County, Hornsby said. These workers are trying to meet the needs of a growing and increasingly vital economic sector.
“The industry as a whole is growing,” Hornsby said. “I think we realized with COVID the importance of the trucking and transportation industry. These drivers were keeping food in the stores and getting medicine to the hospitals.”