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Photos:
(1) Front of Original building, where it all began, (2) HD Car
Hauler in custom Orange color, (3) Landscape Tandem axle utility,
(4) Standard Car Hauler, (5) Welder working on Heavy Duty
Equipment Trailer, (6) Welders working on custom ordered utility.
While it isn’t a common practice, Bye Rite Trailer and Fabrication is considered both
a dealer and a manufacturer. Wilson understands that, to some buyers and dealers,
that label carries a stigma.
“You’ve got to walk a fine line. As a manufacturer, you can’t put yourself in a position
where you are competing with your dealers,” Wilson shared.
Protecting the dealer is Wilson’s bread and butter, which is why he encourages
customers to support his dealer network when it’s time to make a purchase.
“I have had customers come to my lot and tell me that they can get a Bye Rite trailer
cheaper at a dealer than the factory. I tell them, ‘That’s because I’m going to protect
my dealers.’ My dealers buy our trailers at wholesale with enough play in them that
they can sell for less than the factory and still make a profit,” Wilson said.
Now the third owner of the company Wilson credits a lot of his knowledge to Bye
Rite Trailer and Fabrication’s founder.
“I learned a lot from Mr. Hepler, the original owner,” Wilson remembers. “He was
much more aggressive on the retail side than I am. About sixty percent of Mr. Hepler’s
revenue was off his lot. I’ve expanded a great deal on the wholesale side, with most
of my sales coming from dealers.”
continued on next page
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NATDA Magazine
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