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Four Star Freightliner officially opened its doors in Georgiana on May 12 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by members of the local business community, city leaders and supporters from across Butler County. Guests enjoyed food provided by Uncle E’s Catering as they toured the new full-service dealership located at 200 Industrial Park Drive, just off U.S. Interstate Highway 65.

“It’s been fantastic,” said Jerry Kocan, dealer principal of Four Star Freightliner. “I’ve had people that have been telling me we should be in this community for about four or five years, and we started to hear it from the people in Andalusia as well. So we started coming down here and the people couldn’t have been nicer. They just opened their arms, showed us locations and really made it easy for us to settle here. Plus, we have several guys that live right down the street already.”

The new Georgiana location marks the company’s eighth dealership and its fourth in Alabama, strengthening its regional presence and providing a convenient site for truck drivers and fleet owners seeking maintenance, repairs and parts. The opening reflects Four Star Freightliner’s ongoing efforts to improve accessibility and service across the Southeast.

“We kind of had a soft opening and we brought in some technicians and now we intend to hire from around here,” Kocan said. “We have a technician training facility, so guys without experience, we can grow them. We’re hoping to build this facility to [employ] about 20 to 24 people.”

Chris White, service manager at the Georgiana location, said he’s already seen strong local support. “It’s been great… everyone’s been very welcoming,” White said. “A lot of guys had already come to us, hoping we’d open here so people were really helpful. People showed up with open arms.”

Four Star Freightliner’s Georgiana facility will operate as a full-service dealership, offering certified technicians, a parts department and service bays designed to accommodate the needs of long-haul and local commercial drivers. With two experienced technicians, Chris White and Durrell McKinnon, already living in the area, the company hopes to continue building a locally based workforce.