Crystal credits their location for their survival . “ Our area is a hotbed for trailer manufacturing , so we kept the lion ’ s share of our brands local . They know us . They know our family . They know our location ,” she explains . “ When things were horrible , they made exceptions that would keep us afloat , such as delivering trailers and allowing us to pay them off after the sale . That ’ s the benefit of being right down the road .”
Covid also forced the Arthurs to pivot on their business plan . “ I never imagined opening without a service and parts department . We had dibs to rent the service building directly behind the dealership . The original occupant had planned to relocate , but that plan fell through after the shutdown . As a result , we are currently 100 % a sales business .”
The couple took a divide-and-conquer approach to make everything succeed . Brandon , who has 18 years of experience in automotive and trailer sales , spearheaded sales and marketing . Crystal managed licensing , financing , and other operational tasks .
“ Brandon is known as the trailer guy around here . He markets on Facebook Marketplace , and it ’ s been big for us . His skill in developing relationships and follow-up with customers drives word-of-mouth sales and repeat customers . He ’ s what has kept us going , for sure ,” notes Crystal . “ I also sell and learn a lot from him .”
Crystal plans to parlay the knowledge into their new line extension : horse and livestock trailers .
“ We are near horse country , so that will be a good addition to our inventory mix . I bought all the Sirius models on display at the NATDA Trailer show ,” says Crystal . “ I ’ m excited for this line extension because horse trailers are 80 % owned by females . The niche will help us expand into a different clientele .”
Marketing courses at the NATDA show was her first step . “ I attended the ‘ Marketing on a Shoestring Budget ’ class , which was ideally timed . I ’ m bringing on a part-time person to manage our social media ,” Crystal notes .
While service and parts are still part of their master plan , the Arthurs don ’ t intend on moving any time soon . “ Our location has incredible road frontage . We ’ re hoping the space behind us opens up , but in the meantime , we ’ ll explore how to make parts sales happen along with other revenue streams .”
Despite the turbulent start , Crystal keeps her eyes on the future while adjusting the business plan .
“ It ’ s been a learning curve ,” she notes . “ But we ’ ve dialed in on the right brands for us , and I ’ m hopeful things will continue to work out .”
www . natda . org NATDA Magazine 29