ADVENTURES IN EXPANSION : Ultimate Transportation Corp .
Most entrepreneurs dream of growing their business into something bigger . Historically for trailer dealers , there are two ways you can go about it . The first is to open a second location of the original business ; the second is to purchase an existing dealership . The latter often comes with the benefit of an established customer base and infrastructure but offers the added challenge of transitioning from old to new ownership . It ’ s a lot of work , but it can also be an adventure . Just ask John Nore who is no stranger to acquiring established businesses .
If the name John Nore sounds familiar , it ’ s because Nore ’ s other Fargo-based dealership Visto ’ s Trailer Sales ( Visto ’ s ) was spotlighted in NATDA Magazine ’ s November / December 2020 issue . That article told the story of how he transitioned from sub-dealer to owner and his 11-year journey in turning Visto ’ s into a thriving dealership . Three years later , we sat down with Nore to learn about his latest acquisition and plans for expansion .
Ultimate Transportation Corp ( Ultimate ) is a venture Nore undertook with business partner Garret Rodeberg in the Fall of 2022 . The dealership ’ s 28-year history , highly visible and centralized location , and shared focus on trailer parts , service , rentals and sales , made Ultimate an attractive purchase .
Within the first few months of ownership , Nore followed a similar playbook to when he took over management of Visto ’ s : the showroom was remodeled , branding was updated , and trailer lines were expanded .
There are no plans to merge the two brands . Both Visto ’ s and Ultimate will run as two separate companies . “ Visto ’ s location is more focused on contractors , landscapers , and the more industrial fields . Ultimate Transportation ’ s slogan is : ‘ From jobsite to adventure ’,” explains Nore . “ So , the dealership does utility trailers for the job site , but the focus is on recreation . We added an entire line of toy haulers and fish houses . So , the two are basically two separate divisions , with
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24 NATDA Magazine www . natda . org