Mid Plains celebrates 35th anniversary, expands services

By Joan Janzen

Mid Plains Diesel celebrated its 35th anniversary by hosting a Customer Appreciation Lunch at its shop in Kindersley on Thursday, Oct. 2. Customers were happy to enjoy a meal of barbecued pork, while owners Grant and Valerie Rustad announced an expansion of their services.

Mid Plains Diesel in Kindersley celebrated its 35th anniversary with a Customer Appreciation Lunch on Oct. 2. Owners Grant and Valerie Rustad were joined by Lonnie Carpenter from Caterpillar of Canada, announcing their participation in the TEPS Caterpillar program. PHOTO BY JOAN JANZEN

Also in attendance were representatives from Pacific Truck, for which Mid Plains is an authorized distributor and affiliate store, and from Marathon Brake. Lonnie Carpenter, account manager for Caterpillar, shared in the excitement of Grant and Valerie’s announcement.

Mid Plains is one of five independent repair shops in Canada chosen to participate in the TEPS Caterpillar parts dealers program. “They did a thorough search of us before we were even approached,” Grant said.

The program will give Mid Plains better pricing and availability for CAT heavy truck parts. “We have a lot of demand for parts and service, and this adds to the selection we already have,” Grant explained. He expects TEPS will give customers more options and help increase the company’s market share.

“This will likely increase our staff, and we will have access to OEM software diagnostics training for diesel engines,” he added. After providing quality service for 35 years, Mid Plains Diesel continues to expand.

When asked the secret to the longevity of their business, Grant said: “Don’t give up!”