Rihm Kenworth relocates to a newly renovated building

Published 10:00 am Saturday, February 27, 2021

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Rihm Kenworth’s new Albert Lea location can be found at 77847 209th St. The new building allowed the company to expand operations and will add around 10 jobs in the future. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea’s Rihm Kenworth general manager John Bush said the company has already seen new customers and many of the service bays have been occupied since they opened their doors. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Rihm Kenworth spent about a week moving inventory from its old location to its new building. The move greatly expanded their warehouse space to 6,000 square feet. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Each of the 12 service bays features pumps with various oils and lubricants that are commonly needed by the service technicians. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Safety is a top priority for Rihm Kenworth, especially in the service bays. Eye washing stations are located throughout the maintinence area. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

Albert Lea’s Rihm Kenworth recently moved to a new address and a new building. The new location is 27,000 square feet and features 12 service bays, 6,000 square feet of warehouse space, a drivers lounge and many other amenities. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

On top of its various offices, the new Rihm Kenworth location features an employee break room, a spacious conference room, a walk-in parts department and a drivers lounge. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

The Rihm Kenworth logo can be seen in various places throughout the new location, including on the bottoms and sides of vending machines. Tyler Julson/Albert Lea Tribune

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Company already seeing business expand at new location

Operating in Albert Lea since 2006, Rihm Kenworth moved to a new location in mid-December to grow the business and expand in space.

The move from its old location to 77847 209th St. has already been paying off, according to Albert Lea’s general manager John Bush. Not only did the new building increase the square footage to 27,000 square feet, it also allowed Rihm Kenworth to open a leasing and rental department, something that was not offered at the previous location.

“Relocating to this location after 14 years meets our need for more warehouse and shop capacity, efficiency, visibility and improved employee accommodations,” said Kari Rihm, Rihm CEO and president. “We had outgrown our original space and view this move as a terrific opportunity to meet truckers’ needs on the I-35 corridor near two major truck stops.”

The new building includes 6,000 square feet of warehouse space, numerous offices, a walk-in parts department, a conference room, a break room, a customer lounge and a 12-bay service shop.

Bush said although Rihm Kenworth hasn’t been at this location for a long time, he noticed a lot of new business come in nearly right away. He said he has talked to a few customers who noticed the shop while they were at the truck stops and came over to have some work done.

“We are seeing customers we haven’t seen before,” Bush said. “It’s already started. There’s been customers coming out of the truck stops and saying ‘I didn’t know you guys were here.’ So it’s already starting.”

As of December, Rihm Kenworth was open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, but Bush said they are hoping to expand their hours with the new building. Bush said around 10 to 15 jobs will be added once everything is in place, and the goal is to add a second shift on the weekdays as well as a full Saturday shift.

The new dealership is the fifth new facility that Rihm Kenworth has opened since 2017, which includes two new facilities in the Twin Cities, a new dealership in Winona and a new dealership in Mankato.

“It’s just exciting to be a part of all the growth,” Bush said. “We’re proud to be a part of the Albert Lea market. It’s a great city. I’ve met a lot of really fine folks. It’s a diverse community. There’s a lot of farming, but there’s higher tech businesses as well. It’s well diversified. It’s a great area and it appears to be growing.”