NATDA Magazine Mar/Apr 2019 NM_Mar2019_Final | Page 26

Currently serving only the Canadian market, Apogee Trailers’ success has set their sights on American expansion in 2019. Its innovative folding trailer, the Adapt-X, has been successful with motivated dealers looking to add a different trailer to their product line. We spoke with Apogee Trailers’ President, Christophe Goffoz, on the unique value proposition of the Adapt-X and what it means for the American market. NATDA: Can you tell me a little bit about the Adapt-X and Apogee Trailers’ introduction into the American market? The Adapt-X is an invention from Quebec, Canada, introduced to the local market in 2017. When you look at our current distributor list, all are Canadian and most are in Quebec. We’re expanding the distributor accounts into other provinces, but we know it’s a product that will succeed in the United States, too. We thought the 2019 NATDA Trade Show & Convention was the perfect opportunity to expand to the U.S. and sturdy. Additionally, depending on the aluminum you use, its sensitivity to oxidation will decrease. That allows the trailer to be quite resistant to salt. If you think about the U.S. market as you go from north to south, that’s a feature that will be useful. When you’re in states like California, Texas or Florida, you may not have much of a winter, but you have the sea nearby. Obviously, trailers are usually very sensitive to sea salt, which is why we made our trailers’ sides marine grade. NATDA: What would you consider to be the ideal end- user? When you think about it, what people do most with a trailer is find a place to store it. The typical customer hauls a few things only occasionally. What they’re looking for in a trailer is the fact that they can do what they need to do and then put it in storage. NATDA: Canada is known for some extreme weather. What went into the design of the trailer as far as durability? We wanted a versatile, durable trailer that people could use for many things. We have harsh weather in Canada, so we use salt on our roads to make sure we can still drive even if there’s snow. The trailer is made of aluminum, which makes the trailer lightweight 26 NATDA Magazine www.natda.org