NATDA Magazine Jul/Aug 2020 | Page 18

“People are vital. That is the key to success. Surround yourself with successful people,” said Burkholder. That outlook, starting from the top with Burkholder himself, weaves itself through the entire Green Mountain Trailers team and into the community of customers itself. In addition to Belmont Trailers LLC, the dealership’s anchor brand, Green Mountain Trailers is home to Aluma, ITI Cargo by Novae, FLOE International’s CargoMax Trailer and Futura Trailers. But new to the Green Mountain Trailers lot is CM Truck Beds. “We connected with CM Truck Beds at the NATDA Trailer Show last year. Truck beds have become a significant category, both in terms of product sales and installation. Anybody can sell a trailer, but to have the equipment and installation capacity for truck beds is a differentiator in the market,” explained Burkholder. Burkholder is dedicated to serving customers’ needs, offering a diverse product line and a robust service center to his customers. He notes that a loyal customer base is the heartbeat of his business and, for him, making certain they are satisfied is the ultimate goal. His small team, which feels to him more like a family than a group of co-workers, is key to that. “Critical to me is maintaining the same personal connection to our customers that we have with each other. We want them to return because of our relationship, not just our product. People want to do business with people, and we want to be the team our customers keep coming back to,” shared Burkholder. Burkholder’s overall positive attitude, kindness and thoughtfulness shine through everything he does at Green Mountain Trailers. It is no surprise his initial bootstrapping, multi-tasking foray into the industry, with a little help from friends, cut his path to success. One day, he hopes to return the favor by helping a new dealer enter the industry - just as G & E Trailer Sales LLC did for him. “I dream of the day I’ll mentor someone coming into the industry and spare them the challenges I’ve experienced firsthand. I would feel incredibly blessed,” he stated. With such positive energy and a wealth of experience, any new dealership would be lucky to lean on the likes of Lyndon Burkholder. 18 NATDA Magazine www.natda.org