Jesse Berger, president and dealer principal of Eastern Michigan Kenworth, is one of this year’s winner of the “Young Leader and Excellence Award” presented by the Automotive Hall of Fame based in Dearborn, MI.
The award is designed to honor persons age 40 or under who have demonstrated significant potential as future leaders in the automotive industry. Also honored were Gregory S. Christensen, a manufacturing and engineering supervisor for Ford Motor Company; Dilip Dubey, CEO of Netlink; and Christine K. Lambert, a technical leader with Ford Motor Co.
The 38-year old Berger joined Kenworth’s dealership network in 2006 after working for his family’s business, Berger & Sons Truck Service. He remodeled the repair facility and company office into Eastern Michigan Kenworth-Clinton Township, starting out with 12 employees and $2 million in annual sales and growing to 90 employees and sales of $22 million by 2008. The company’s locations also include Eastern Michigan Kenworth in Dearborn, MI, and Central Michigan Kenworth in Lansing, MI.
Berger was also recognized earlier this year by Crain’s Detroit Business magazine as one of the 40 best and brightest executives in southeast Michigan. “I started my career early at a very young age of 10 when I would pump gas at my family’s gas station and get quarter tips,” noted Berger. “Pumping gas is not a big accomplishment, but pumping gas and cleaning windshields taught me the value of good customer service at a young age.”
