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December 29, 2025
ASHWAUBENON – For more than four decades, President Bob Renkens said Packer City International Trucks has operated with a clear mission: provide comprehensive, reliable transportation solutions for customers whose businesses depend on medium- and heavy-duty trucks.
Even in an economic downturn that has slowed the trucking industry nationwide, Bob said Packer City International Trucks is expanding and investing for what’s to come.
That focus on innovation, he said, figures into the company’s preparations for what they expect to be significant growth in both new truck sales and parts and service needs.
“We’re in a very cyclical business,” he said. “Our sales have been consistent, but we do anticipate [that growth is coming].”
With decades of experience, Bob said he understands the value of preparing for growth – which has recently included introducing the S13 Integrated Powertrain and expanding the Green Bay facility.
A remodel designed for the next era of trucking
Though the Green Bay facility’s recently completed expansion is called a remodel, Bob said it’s essentially a completely new building.
“There were only two walls retained and some steel structure in our repair facility,” he said. “It’s a brand-new facility.”
By the numbers, Bob said the design/build project by Bayland Buildings increased the building’s size from 26,000 to 41,014 square feet, including a second floor for office space.
He said it included key upgrades to the operation – which now:
- Features a 40% larger repair facility
- Enables significantly more service capacity
- Has a two-story parts warehouse to support increased demand
- Includes larger garage doors to enter the space to accommodate municipal and specialty trucks without having to remove equipment first
- Has a dedicated indoor showroom, something that is unique to Northeast Wisconsin for trucks this size
- Offers a modern, inviting space overall for customers and employees alike
“It’s the only building I’m aware of in Northeast Wisconsin, let alone Wisconsin, that has a [dedicated] showroom that allows customers to come in and see a truck regardless of the weather,” he said. “That’s predominant in the auto industry, but with the size of our equipment, that can take up some floor space. This allows our customers to see the S13 Power Train inside, and that’s unique.”
In the past, Bob said they could show a truck indoors in the repair area, but it didn’t make for the best experience because of the noise and activity occurring there.
The expansion hasn’t just improved the customer experience – Sales Director Tim Renkens said employees now have more attractive and functional spaces as well.
“We wanted an inviting and attractive space for our employees,” he said. “It’s nice to come to work in an inviting and comfortable place and attracting and retaining talent is a very high priority.”
Tim said the remodel also created dedicated meeting and training rooms, space for hosting customer events, technician training and sessions for employees from all locations.
“That’s something we just didn’t have in the past,” he said.
Bob said the company remained operational through the entire remodeling process and finalized most of the setup in the space by year’s end.
At the same time, he said business has been powered by the International S13 Integrated Powertrain.
Introduced in 2023, Bob said the S13 quickly gained national attention for its fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
“The International brand we represent has brought out the most fuel-efficient powertrain in the industry,” he said. “It’s also the most environmentally friendly drivetrain, and there is a groundswell within our marketplace and nationally.”
Tim said the S13 appeals to customers with its simplicity, fuel efficiency and status as the cleanest diesel powertrain on the market.
Because of that performance, Tim said Packer City anticipates the S13 to not only produce more truck sales but also stronger long-term parts and service revenue as a result.
A 40-plus-year foundation of local ownership
Per its website – pcitrucks.com – Packer City International Trucks has been locally owned and serving the Green Bay community since 1982.
Being situated in the heart of a transportation and logistics cluster in Greater Green Bay – with many trucking giants headquartered throughout the area – Bob said, has been a boon to the business.
According to the website, Packer City expanded into Shawano in 1988, Appleton in 1991 and entered the Upper Peninsula in 2016 with the acquisition of Schultz Equipment.
And though each location serves a different market, Tim said the team strives for consistency.
“Each location is unique and overall, it’s the same process, but products may be unique depending on where [they’re] located,” he said.
Though each location is unique and may carry different products depending on where they’re located, Tim said the “goal is one consistent customer experience at any location.”
Today, Bob said the business employs roughly 125-130 people, with about 40% based in Green Bay – remaining intentionally lean and “more than family-owned.”
“It’s a family atmosphere,” Tim said. “There isn’t a lot to cut through to get things done, and that’s a competitive advantage.”
Employee tenure, he said, remains a point of pride – and a differentiator in a tight labor market.
“[In 2024 alone], we had more than 100 years of tenure retire with a handful of positions and multiple employees who are 30-plus-year employees,” he said.
Tim said the company serves more than 9,000 active customers, from single owner-operators to large national fleets based in Wisconsin, with many maintaining relationships for decades.
“We sell trucks to owner/operators all the way up to the largest fleets in our area,” he said.
Additionally, Bob said Packer City sells and leases trucks to a variety of brick-and-mortar businesses that use them for everyday operations, such as delivering food products to restaurants, a bathtub to a home or a host of other things.
“The list goes on, as almost everything in your home is touched by a truck that delivered it,” he said. “People don’t realize it’s the backbone of moving goods throughout the U.S.”
Bob said much of the company’s customer base consists of repeat clients who trust Packer City International Trucks to deliver reliable results.
“If you treat them fair, they treat you fair,” he said.
Tim said it also helps that Packer City International Trucks offers end-to-end transportation solutions, covering everything from sales and rentals to maintenance and long-term fleet support.
“Our company’s goal is to be an end-to-end solution for any truck-related need under the sun, related to the time they purchase a truck to the time they dispose of the truck,” he said. “We want to be the single resource our customers depend on for their needs within the transportation industry.”
Tim said the company sells Class 4-8 commercial vehicles and represents both International and Isuzu brands.
Ideal Lease, a unique business entity formed in 1982, he said, adds another layer of service.
“It’s a business within our business,” he said. “Another tool in our arsenal to help our customers be successful.”
Beyond sales, Bob said Packer City maintains a sizable parts operation, stocking $3.5 million worth of inventory for its customers.
That, combined with one of the region’s largest service operations, he said, enables rapid repair turnaround.
Training, Bob said, is continuous and emphasized heavily.
“Training is never-ending…,” he said. “Things are always evolving, and [we] have to be on the cutting edge.”
Tim said Packer City partners with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Fox Valley Technical College and the Ahnapee Diesel Center to give future technicians internships, mentoring and hands-on experience.
Preparing the next generation of employees, he said, is vital to keeping the customer experience strong.
“We’re in a very competitive, relationship-driven business, and we’re fortunate with the team we have built to be able to carry those relationships forward in very good markets and very bad markets,” he said.
A workforce strategy built on culture, continuity
Emphasizing the importance of its internal culture, Tim said Packer City prides itself on maintaining a workplace that blends small-business agility with the capabilities required to support large regional and national clients.
“It really is a family atmosphere,” he said. “We’re a small company, but we deal with a lot of big customers, and there’s not a lot of redundancy. We’re very focused on getting things done quickly and efficiently. We want to reward and retain employees for a job well done and have an inviting and open place to work.”
Bob said that commitment to an employee-first culture has resulted in strong workforce longevity, something increasingly rare in the heavy-duty transportation sector.
The company’s tenure depth, he said, remains a point of pride, even amid generational turnover.
“We have great tenure with our employees, especially in today’s market,” he said. “Part of our issue is that a lot of older employees are retiring, but we are replacing them with some very talented younger individuals… When someone interviews and asks about culture, we say if you’re a fit for Packer City, you’re a fit for your whole career.”
Tim said the company’s structure plays a big role in making this possible.
“It’s a family atmosphere – we’re not a top-heavy organization,” he said. “Our employees are one to two steps away from the owners, and that gives people a lot of confidence. That is a competitive advantage.”
Bob said strong employee retention directly contributes to maintaining long-term customer relationships.
“They go hand in hand with each other,” he said.
Prepared for the market upswing
Even in the down market, Bob said Packer City is growing, thanks in part to products like the S13 Powertrain.
He said the company expects to expand business with existing customers while attracting new clients and is confident that demand will rebound, with recent investments positioning it for success when it does.
“The customers we have are what keep us going,” he said.
Bob said loyalty, combined with the company’s ongoing ability to attract new customers, “is the whole focus of why we can make investments like this in the facility.”
“We can prepare for rapid expansion as that market comes back,” he said.
Bob and Tim said they plan to host an open house and customer event in spring 2026, highlighting the expansion and showcasing its full capabilities to the region.
More details will be released in the new year.
