10/02/2026
THE NAME WE CARRIED. THE LEGACY WE LEAVE.
There are some names that become more than words.
They become memories.
They become people.
They become places you remember walking into, trucks you remember seeing in the parking lot, conversations you remember having, and generations of families who gave a part of their lives to building something bigger than themselves.
For more than five decades, Kirk has been one of those names.
Our story began in 1969, when Norton Kirk, Norman Smart, and Martha Kirk incorporated K&S Leasing.
In 1976, K&S Leasing became Kirk NationaLease, beginning a chapter that would carry the Kirk name for generations.
In 1978, Fred and Phil Kirk founded Kirk Brothers Trucking, "KBT", adding another important chapter to the family's transportation legacy.
Then came change.
In 1985, Lloyd Schroer and Jim Harvey purchased the company, beginning a new era of leadership. Lloyd had started with Kirk as Service Manager and worked his way through the organization, eventually becoming CEO.
In 1997, Lloyd assumed full ownership, and the years that followed brought tremendous growth. Kirk expanded through acquisitions, new locations, new capabilities, and new relationships, reaching beyond its original roots and becoming something much larger.
In 2003, Jeff Phlipot became a partner. In 2004, he became President. And on July 1, 2008, Jeff became principal owner and CEO.
That transition represented more than a change in leadership.
It represented the continuation of a legacy.
Under Jeff's leadership, Kirk continued to evolve. What began with trucking and leasing expanded into a broader fleet-solutions organization, helping customers keep their equipment operating through maintenance, repair, parts, mobile service, shop management, technology, training, and countless other services.
But through all of those changes, one thing remained constant:
The people.
The technicians who turned wrenches.
The managers and admins who answered the phones.
The parts teams who found what was needed.
The managers who opened the doors every morning.
The drivers who kept things moving.
The trainers who invested in the next generation.
The leaders who made difficult decisions.
The families who supported them.
The customers who trusted us.
The vendors and partners who stood beside us.
And the countless people whose names may never appear in a company history book, but whose work helped write every page.
Today, we find ourselves standing at another turning point.
The Kirk NationaLease name that has been on our buildings, trucks, uniforms, documents, and memories for so many years is entering its next chapter as we become part of the Amerit Fleet Solutions family.
The acquisition brings Kirk into a larger national network, adding our locations, people, capabilities, and experience to Amerit's growing fleet-services platform.
But there is something important we want to remember:
A name can change without erasing a history.
K&S Leasing is still part of our story.
KBT is still part of our story.
Kirk NationaLease is still part of our story.
Every leader who guided us is part of our story.
Every employee who gave their time and talent is part of our story.
Every customer who trusted us is part of our story.
Every truck that rolled through one of our shops is part of our story.
And every person who ever wore the Kirk name helped make it what it became.
So this isn't goodbye to everything Kirk was.
It is a moment to pause.
To remember.
To be grateful.
And to recognize just how far this company has traveled since 1969.
The name may change.
The logo may change.
The signs may change.
But the people, memories, lessons, relationships, and accomplishments built over more than five decades will always be part of who we are.
To everyone who has been part of this journey:
Thank you.
Thank you for believing in the company.
Thank you for showing up.
Thank you for serving our customers.
Thank you for teaching the next generation.
Thank you for carrying the name.
And thank you for helping write a story worth remembering.
From K&S Leasing…
to KBT…
to Kirk NationaLease…
and now to the future with Amerit Fleet Solutions!
The chapter is changing.
The legacy remains.
