When Mack Trucks
Run in the Family
How Canada’s first ISO Certified heavy truck
dealership became a locally owned empire
The official history of Nortrux began in 1987, when
Arthur (Art) Langner and partners bought a Mack
dealership and renamed it – fittingly – Northern Mack.
The company became a true family venture shortly after in
1994, when his son Jason joined the company part-time in
the warehouse. Jason did everything from sweeping floors to
unloading boxes.
It seems Mack trucks are in the Langner blood because
Jason impressed the parts manager with his work ethic
and eagerness to learn, eventually becoming a Red Seal
Journeyman in 1998. Jason knew that if he was going to take
over Northern Mack one day, he’d need to learn more about
the business side of things. In 1999, Jason enrolled in the
Truck Dealer Academy program at the National Automobile
Dealers Association (NADA) in McLean, W.V.
From that point on, Jason was determined to improve
the already burgeoning empire that became Nortrux. After
completing his NADA programs, he got to work streamlining
the business of the dealership and formalizing the
IT department. In 2002, he bought into the company as
a shareholder.
A home-grown, reliable Alberta business
After expanding Northern Mack to multiple locations across
Alberta, Jason wanted to set his father up for retirement and
continue as a smaller, family-owned business. As a result,
Nortrux sold its Calgary and Lethbridge locations, while
keeping Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Red Deer.
The business was ready to deliver a boutique, customeroriented
service, but Jason knew he couldn’t do it alone.
He brought together a few long-term managers to become
partners: Kevin Kaufman as vice president and CEO; Pat
Degenhardt as vice president and director of service; and
Sheldon Brown as vice president and director of parts.
By Rae Thygesen, ARHCA
M E M B E R S P O T L I G H T
The Nortrux team in 1987, and again three decades later in 2017
Photos: Nortrux
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