Since its inception , NATDA has had the privilege of supporting the trailer and truck bed industry . One of the greatest rewards is showcasing the success of a variety of dealerships from across North America through Dealer Spotlight . To celebrate our 15-year anniversary , NATDA has selected some of the best takeaways from three years of dealer interviews .
Hire for Attitude , Train for Skill Tucson Trailer Company ( Mar / April 2022 ) and Elm City Trailer ( Nov / Dec 2022 )
Patrick Conway of Tucson Trailer Company prides himself on hiring great , long-term employees .
“ We can teach people how to fix things , but we can ’ t teach attitude ,” divulged Conway . “ A great example is our lead technician , Jacob Roussard , who has been with us for 10 years . He can do almost everything now .”
Bobby Fantarella of Elm City Trailer ensures his team is knowledgeable on all facets of the industry ’ s evolution . “ If a manufacturer is offering education , we ’ re learning . We want to know what and why they think . That knowledge speeds up the repair process , and time is money . If we get more things done in less time , the better it is for our customers ,” says Fantarella . As a result , Elm City Trailer ’ s service department is in high demand .
Provide for Your Staff , and They ’ ll Provide for You TBE Equipment ( Jul / Aug 2022 )
Craig Oilschlager of TBE Equipment incentivizes his staff for long-term loyalty and year-round performance .
“ We have changed how we pay our employees ,” explained Oilschlager . “ We have implemented health insurance and benefits on top of a competitive base salary . We ’ ve also started to operate based on company-wide profit-sharing incentives .
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That way , there ’ s no internal competition for commission , and everyone works as a team . As part of our program , we have monthly , quarterly , and annual goals set for the company . If we hit the mark , everyone gets a bonus . We get to provide for our staff , who we consider family , while helping them provide for theirs .”
Prioritize Your Online Presence Advantage Trailers ( Sept / Oct 2022 )
Advantage Trailers prioritizes marketing , especially in the digital space . “ SEO and keyword advertising are important since every major purchase starts with an internet search ,” says Advantage ’ s marketing manager , Justin Potts . “ Image is crucial . We get a lot of inbound leads sharing examples of past trailers online and on social media , especially Pinterest , so good photography is everything .”
Educate Your Customers NY-NJ Trailer Supply ( Jan / Feb 2023 ) and Northshore Trailer & Equipment ( Jul / Aug 2021 )
Rawn Leegwater of NY-NJ Trailer Supply understands landscaping customers and uses his service department to generate steady revenue and customer loyalty by educating customers on required inspections .
“ We educate these customers that as soon they are done working for the season to bring in the trailer for service and yearly DOT inspection . We rotate the trailers out one by one till we go through the entire fleet ,” says Leegwater . “ Some of these companies have up to 20 trailers . DOT inspections are a great way to promote service .”
Kevin Jordan of Northshore Trailer & Equipment found out his team was spending countless hours trying to answer questions from customers interested in DYI service . Knowing they were looking for information that could easily be found online , he launched an online video section of his website to address the need .
Sept / Oct 2019 , Kelley & Sons , Carleton , MI Nov / Dec 2019 , FW Trailers , Reno , NV Jan / Feb 2020 , Renville Sales , Inc .,
Renville , MN Mar / April 2020 , Kapp Trailer Sales &
Service , Bartelso , IL May / June 2020 , Cowboy Trailers ,
Calhoun , LA July / Aug 2020 , Green Mountain Trailers , Morrisville , VT
Sept / Oct 2020 , IW Trailers , Unicoi , TN Nov / Dec 2020 , Visto ’ s Trailer Sales ,
West Fargo , ND Jan / Feb 2021 , The Hitch Man , Inc .,
Taneytown , MD Mar / April 2021 , 4 Corners Trailers ,
Bayfield , CO May / June 2021 , Action Trailers ,
Strathroy , ON
July / Aug 2021 , Northshore Trailer & Equipment , Covington , LA
Sept / Oct 2021 , Allstate Utility Trailers , Knoxville , TN
Nov / Dec 2021 , Double A Trailer , Grayslake , IL
Jan / Feb 2022 , Vehicle Venture , Bradford , ON
Mar / April 2022 , Tucson Trailer Company , Tucson , AZ
24 NATDA Magazine www . natda . org