A Q & A with Lamar Trailers Founder and 2025 NATDA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
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George Fehr: A Legacy Built to Last
A Q & A with Lamar Trailers Founder and 2025 NATDA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
When George Fehr founded Lamar Trailers in 2003, he brought a determination and a belief that steady work would lead somewhere. That approach has long defined his career and strategy at Lamar Trailers, and recently earned him recognition as the 2025 NATDA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
In this Q & A, he discusses the decisions that shaped Lamar Trailers and the lessons he hopes will guide the next generation of trailer industry professionals.
Q: When you founded Lamar Trailers in 2003 with just $ 5,000 and no customers, what gave you the confidence to take that leap, and what lessons from those early days still guide you today?
A. It really came down to hope, belief, and trust, especially trusting and obeying the Lord. I didn’ t have everything figured out, but I believed there was a path forward if I stayed faithful and kept working.
Those early days taught me resilience, more than anything. You learn quickly that things won’ t go as planned, but quitting isn’ t an option. That mindset still guides me today. Stay grounded in your values, trust the process, and don’ t give up no matter what.
Q: In 2018, you made the uncommon decision to pause growth and focus on becoming debt-free. What led to that decision, and how do you balance ambition with long-term responsibility as a leader?
A: We reached a point where we realized we were working for the bank instead of building something that truly belonged to us. That didn’ t sit right. We wanted freedom, not just growth.
Pictured( L-R): George Fehr, Randolf Fehr at the 2025 Industry Excellence Awards Banquet.
So, we made a disciplined decision to focus on paying off debt. We stopped chasing everything we could do and focused on what we should do. That meant living within our means, using what we had, and staying committed to the goal.
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