NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas and OMAHA, Neb. — Rush Enterprises Inc. is signing an agreement to form a joint venture with MCT Companies.
“The joint venture will enhance service capabilities for refrigerated transportation customers through continued investment in technology and operations,” the companies said.
MCT Holdings
Rush and an affiliate of MCT Companies will each own 50 percent of the new joint venture entity, which will operate MCT Companies’ network of truck, trailer and rail refrigeration and auxiliary power unit dealerships throughout the Midwest and on both the East and West Coasts.
The formation of the joint venture is subject to customary closing conditions, but the parties expect the transaction to close during the third quarter of 2026. The joint venture will be named MCT Holdings LLC, and will be led by Bill Willett as CEO and president. For financial reporting purposes, Rush Enterprises does not intend to consolidate the joint venture within its Truck Segment or any other operating segment. MCT Companies owns and operates a network of 17 Carrier Transicold full-service dealerships and 3 mobile service locations strategically located across the refrigerated freight market in California, Nebraska, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Expanding Rush’s Presence
“This joint venture represents an important step in Rush Enterprises’ strategy to expand our presence in adjacent segments of the commercial vehicle market while delivering even greater value to our customers,” said W.M. “Rusty” Rush, chairman, CEO and president. “Bill Willett and the MCT team have built a successful and respected Carrier Transicold dealership network, and we are excited to partner with them to continue building on that success. By combining both Rush Enterprises’ and MCT’s technology, operating systems and scale with MCT Companies’ deep operational expertise, we believe this joint venture will strengthen our ability to support refrigerated transportation customers and position the joint venture for continued growth.
A More Balanced Business
“Just as importantly, it reflects our disciplined approach to investing in businesses that complement our core commercial vehicle dealership operations, deepen customer relationships, enable a more balanced business that helps moderate the cyclicity of the commercial truck market and create long-term shareholder value through revenue diversification and operational excellence,” Rush said. “We are excited to join the Carrier Transicold dealer family through our investment in the joint venture. Carrier Transicold is an industry leader with cutting-edge technologies that manufactures premium cooling and refrigeration products that our commercial vehicle customers are already familiar with. We believe that the relationship with Carrier Transicold aligns and strengthens our premium brand and best-in-class franchise strategy as it relates to achieving growth through investments in adjacent businesses.”
A Long-Term Growth Strategy
“We are excited to partner with Rush Enterprises, the largest truck dealer in North America,” Willett said. “This joint venture provides us with access to additional capital and operational resources that will help accelerate our long-term growth strategy. Most importantly, it will enable us to better serve our customers by expanding our service capabilities, investing in our facilities and technicians, and delivering the responsiveness and uptime they depend on to keep their refrigerated fleets operating. We look forward to working alongside the Rush Enterprises team as we continue building and strengthening our Carrier Transicold dealership network.”
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.
