It ’ s a belief shared among his staff , including a seven-person sales team and Eli ’ s daughter , who serves as office manager and is a partner in the business . The proof of its effectiveness can be seen in the culture at Tropic Trailer . There is minimal turnover at the company , the Tropic Trailer website is full of 5-star reviews from customers who ultimately return to the dealership for service , rentals , and new trailers .
While Tropic Trailer is a fantastic success story , Eli has also survived his share of hardships with the business , starting with the economic downturn of 2008 . “ We had just paid off all the debts taken on to build the business , and then we had to take on more to stay afloat ,” he recalls . “ It took seven years to fight through that economic dip . We sold things at auction , sold equity in the business , whatever we could to get through .”
Eli ’ s perseverance has paid off , with Tropic Trailer doing steady business . “ You got to keep trying ,” he states . “ If you give up , you know the answer .”
With that perseverance comes a deep sense of gratitude . Eli feels blessed with the business his communities have given him , and Tropic Trailer does its part to give back . From partnering with the Sheriff ’ s Department to provide bicycles to children during the holidays to supporting his beekeeping community through fundraising efforts to provide building materials to 200 bee farmers after Hurricane Ian destroyed several habitats throughout Florida .
Eli has worked to support the trailer industry . He functioned as an advisor to Andy Ackerman as he founded NATDA . He also enjoys lending an ear and advice while networking and connecting with his peers at the NATDA Trailer Show . “ The Trailer Show is a great opportunity to get together under one roof and talk to everyone : dealers , manufacturers and vendors ,” Eli stated .
When asked what his best advice is for other dealers in a climate where inventory may be hard to come by , Eli replied , “ With construction on the upturn – even before the hurricane – we can rent products – we rent a lot . ( As a result ) we never need to find used trailers . We subsidize our own .”
Eli also believes that old-fashioned service is still the best kind . “ Internet selling may be a convenience , but I feel that today ’ s direct and online sales don ’ t do justice to the industry , from the dealers to the trailer brands and , most importantly , the customers . If a customer buys from a place with stripped-down service , the overall experience won ’ t be good the second that trailer needs service . I think manufacturers need to consider that because it ’ s their brands at stake . If manufacturers are interested in building brand loyalty , they need to support the full-service dealerships that are working to keep their customers happy .”
And , as Eli says , everyone should walk away happy .
32 NATDA Magazine www . natda . org