SPOTLight
LEADERSHIP AWARD Ken Buchheit
BY TODD TRAUB Contributing Writer
Ken Buchheit admits he is rarely at a
loss for words, but when the Texas Trucking Association handed him the Fleet Maintenance Council Leadership Award he was rendered temporarily speechless. “I’m just a regular guy and it just hap-
pened that somebody needed to be nomi- nated,” said Buchheit, a dealer account executive at Cummins Sales and Service in Arlington. “And I was the guy and I ended up winning and it floored me. It really did.”
Though humbled, Buchheit neverthe-
less was able to take great pride in the honor. “My work was recognized. Whether I
know it or not people appreciate what I’m doing,” Buchheit said. “It just makes me continue that drive.” “Drive” would be the appropriate
word for Buchheit, a self-confessed “gear- head” and car buff who has worked exclu- sively in the field he has loved after a brief flirtation with being a veterinarian while he was attending Texas A&M-Kingsville during his first stab at college. “I didn’t want another 15 years of
school,” Buchheit, 50, said. Buchheit, who could often be found
under the hood of a car, whether his or a friend’s ride, decided to put his love of mechanics and tinkering to work and returned to school to study the craft at Lincoln Tech in Grand Prairie. He then went to work as a mechanic the Houston-based dealership Stewart and
Stevenson, which even- tually gave him the chance to step outside the shop with an indi- rect sales role in cus- tomer support. “I was a mechanic
so I knew the technical side, now it was get out and take care of peo- ple,” Buchheit said. His background
as a mechanic gave him credibility with the customers, Buchheit said, but there were limited opportunities for advance- ment so he jumped at the chance when Cummins came calling in 2004. He worked initially in technical train-
ing, which he saw as an opportunity to give back to other mechanics, before becoming a dealer executive. Customer care, Buchheit said, requires the same kind of minor maintenance and attention to detail, as engine care. “If you support the dealers … they’ll
help you sell your product better,” he said. Buchheit’s leadership philosophy is
centered on consistency, accountability and taking initiative when things need getting done. His objective is to be the person peo- ple know they can turn to and one who tries to make others better. “I think just helping people,” Buchheit
said of his approach, which involves listen- ing as much as speaking. “Gaining knowl- edge. Knowledge is power and the more knowledge you gain and pass out, the more you empower people.”
When not on the job or spending
time with his daughter from a previous marriage, or his girlfriend’s children, Buchheit continues to pursue his first love as the proud owner of a self-built, replica, Shelby Cobra Roadster, one of the most replicated cars in the world. “I’m a hot rod guy,” said Buchheit
who enjoys getting off the beaten path to put his 530 horsepower, 2,500-pound coupe through its paces. In fact, the more wind- ing the road, the better, Buchheit said. “It’s just a little bullet. It’s fun to take
them out and play,” he said. Buchheit is a frequent traveler, with
other enthusiasts, to rallies and gatherings around the region and attended the Hill Country and the Texas Cobra Club’s annu- al meeting. In his hobby, as in his work, Buchheit
appreciates the value of maintenance, whether it’s maintaining engines or rela- tionships. “Like we say it’s not about the car, it’s
about the people,” Buchheit said. R Summer 2016 25
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