A native of Wyoming, Mr. Bennett graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Accounting. Following graduation, he earned his CPA license and became a partner in the accounting firm of Leo Riley and Associates, located in Casper, Wyoming.

In the fall of 1987 one of the firm's clients asked Mr. Bennett to perform due diligence on Western Peterbilt, Inc., a heavy truck (Class 8) dealership he was considering acquiring, located in Seattle, Washington.

Following the acquisition of Western Peterbilt, Inc., the owner retained the services of Mr. Bennett as the Corporate Controller. What began as a dealership consisting of two stores and 40 employees, grew into a multi-state dealership network consisting of 16 locations.

Mr. Bennett was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 1994, and continued to manage day to day operations of the accounting division until the dealership network was sold in 2005. At the time of sale, Western Peterbilt Inc. was grossing over $250 million annually, and employed over 400 people in the states of Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and California.