SHREWSBURY, Mass. — Advantage Truck Group (ATG) is celebrating the graduation of the first cohort of its leadership development program, a six-month course designed to equip both current and future managers with the foundational skills, strategies and perspectives needed to manage teams and support their professional growth. Its impact reflects ATG’s commitment to investing in its people.
“We developed this course internally to empower managers, supervisors and foreman across our organization — regardless of role or level — with the soft skills, emotional intelligence and accountability needed to drive their success,” said Scott Lappalainen, ATG human resources director. “Our employees possess deep technical expertise and trucking industry knowledge, yet many are promoted to leadership roles without having any formal management training to help navigate the challenges of their new positions. Our leadership development course fills that gap.”
ATG Leadership Development Program
The program follows a progressive learning path, starting with self-awareness and communication skills and moving toward advanced culture building. Core modules focus on conflict resolution, delegation, accountability, coaching, sustaining trust and managing change. Designed as a collaborative learning and development experience, it pairs high-quality content with group accountability. Participants find value in the conversations the material sparks and how they can apply different ideas. A defining aspect of the course is the involvement of ATG’s executive team, who engage directly with participants through class discussions and share their personal experiences.
“The executive team’s active participation in the leadership development program reflects ATG’s commitment to employee development,” Lappalainen said. “It’s this commitment that sets us apart from other dealers and is crucial to the success of our company, the growth of our employees and the support we provide to our customers.”
Six employees graduated from the inaugural cohort of ATG’s leadership development course:
- Conner Battistoni, parts manager at ATG Westminster.
- Aaron Graves, service manager at ATG Shrewsbury.
- John Hulten, service manager at ATG Raynham.
- Derek Mason, service manager at ATG Westminster.
- Jesse Negron, warehouse supervisor at ATG Shrewsbury.
- Stephen Ramos, assistant parts manager at ATG Westfield.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
