As of February 24 , 2021 , only two destinations in the United States had been named a “ Safe Travels ” destination by the World Travel & Tourism Council . One of those cities was Nashville , Tennessee , home to the 2021 NATDA Trailer Show .
Though we still have several months until our annual show , all the signs indicate a fun , safe , in-person event happening this year and we are excited to bring it to you .
That is not the only thing we are excited about . As you may have already discovered , NATDA has a new look and a new website . In A New Look for a New Era in NATDA History ( pg 54 ), we delve into the reasons for the upgrade and how our new website will give NATDA members far greater access to the association ’ s benefits .
Speaking of benefits , a great benefit package is key to keeping employees at your dealership for the long haul . In Increase Employee Retention by Increasing Benefit Personalization ( pg 26 ), Meridio ’ s Chris McLoota explains why offering specific benefits to specific employees is the best way to ensure your entire staff is happy .
Also in this issue , Econoline Trailers ’ Brittany Millwood pens her story of the company ’ s founder , Raymond “ Rusty ” Banks . Banks was a longtime advocate of the industry and Millwood writes a beautiful portrait of his life in The Life and Legacy of Econoline Trailers ’ Raymond Banks ( pg 62 ). You ’ ll also find an interview with Polar King Mobile ’ s Christian Aitken in A Different Way To Chill ( pg 22 ), where he discusses the many positives the company has seen in the last year .
Lastly , we are looking ahead to the NATDA Trailer Show with stories on five new manufacturers - Black Rhino Manufacturing ( pg 36 ), Davis Village Solutions ( pg 38 ), FloatRide Trailers ( pg 40 ), KRIN Custom Trailers ( pg 42 ) and Thunder Creek Equipment ( pg 44 ). You can also dive into some of the newest exhibitors scheduled for this year ’ s show , including Advantage Sales & Supply , Interstate Haulers , Motility Software Solutions and Tuthill Fort Wayne – Fill-Rite , plus additional features from Equalizer Systems and Northpoint Commercial Finance .
We ’ re excited for the way 2021 is shaping up and we look forward to seeing you in Nashville from September 1-3 for the 2021 NATDA Trailer Show !
8 NATDA Magazine www . natda . org