One ingredient to Wysocki Inc ’ s success in bringing in customers came from Kara and Leonard ’ s automotive background .
“ We list our trailers on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace ,” explains Kara . “ We knew that it worked for cars . Why wouldn ’ t it work for trailers ? We became more nationally known during the pandemic because customers would search close to home and then move their search to 100 miles out .”
The business thrived in its first four years of operation , even through the pandemic . “ We were fortunate that we were able to get a waiver from the governor of Pennsylvania to remain open ,” explains Kara . “ We took a leap of faith at the end of 2019 and ordered a bunch of trailers to have them here and ready for the spring season . I would have other dealers call me to buy trailers because they couldn ’ t get any .”
The hard work and risk paid off . In 2021 Wysocki , Inc . was named one of the top five Big Tex dealerships in North America and again in 2022 .
Unfortunately , tragedy struck the Wysocki family in late September 2022 when Leonard unexpectedly passed . Kara went into autopilot to keep the business going .
“ I can ’ t tell you what happened in the first three months . It ’ s a complete blur . I couldn ’ t believe I was now a widow and a single mom at 41 . I was just focused on keeping me and my youngest breathing . Now , I ’ m back in it . I will continue to grow and carry on the legacy we created together . Our goal together was to be the biggest we could possibly be . And we achieved that . And I want to continue it . My success is going to pass on to my kids . That ’ s important .”
Part of Kara ’ s moving forward is giving back to the industry as a NATDA Women in the Trailer Committee member . While she has built a reputation as a knowledgeable trailer professional in her area , she has plenty of stories about those questioning her on her trailer knowledge due to her gender , and Kara wants to help other women in the industry be able to deal with similar situations .
“ Male customers will come in asking to speak to one of my ‘ guys .’ And I ’ ll say , ‘ I AM your guy , and I am the person who trained my guys .” When we get done , they ’ re like , ‘ I shouldn ’ t have underestimated you .’ You can ’ t let things intimidate you . There is a lot of competition in this line of work , and you ’ ve got to stand out and be the best at what you do . You got to be the prettiest trailer ‘ guy ’ out there ,” Kara muses . “ I ’ m looking forward to the camaraderie that the Committee will provide . It ’ s good to have a sounding board and support so we can boost our careers and revenue .”
When asked what advice she ’ d give to others looking to open a dealership , Kara offers , “ Other than ‘ Just do it ,’ to be successful , it ’ s important to show up every day . You need to know why you ’ re doing it . For me , it ’ s providing for my children . That and strong work ethic will take you further than you expect .”
www . natda . org NATDA Magazine 27