Trail King Celebrates 40 Years

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Manufacturer of open deck and materials hauling trailers, Trail King Industries, Inc. is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2014, marking an important milestone for the South-Dakota based company that had its beginnings as Western Ag Sales. Since that time, Trail King has undergone a 40-year transformation to emerge as an industry leader and North America’s largest manufacturer of specialized trailers.

According to Rick Farris, Trail King’s vice president of sales and marketing, the company’s ability to build the most innovative and highest quality trailers on the market is a prime component of their long standing success. Over the past 40 years, Trail King has proven that virtually no engineering feat is too large to handle. From simple cargo trailers to complex road warriors hauling specialized cargo including large wind turbine trailers. Today, with an expanded line of 25 different types of trailers and load capacities up to 1,000,000 lbs., Trail King remains a provider of innovative solutions and new product developments to fit each customer’s needs.

With state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Mitchell, S.D. and West Fargo, N.D, and over 700 employees, Trail King is equipped to engineer and manufacture trailers serving the construction, commercial hauling, agriculture, and specialized transport industries.

Trail King is supported by a network of almost 400 dealer locations across the U.S. and Canada,
in addition to marketing and selling its products to customers in South America, Europe, Asia,
and other places around the globe.

The Early Days
Early on in Trail King’s history, founders, Gordon and Shirley Thomsen had a dream of starting
a business that would not only enable their surrounding community of Mitchell, S.D. to
thrive, but would provide a solution to America’s hauling needs. When Trail King
made the shift from selling Ag-related equipment to focusing exclusively on manufacturing Trail
King trailers in the late 70s, Gordon and Shirley knew they were on to verge of something
special.

In 1978, Trail King revolutionized the lowboy technology by implementing the “60-second
connection” which made unhooking and front loading quicker and easier than ever before. In
addition to staying at the forefront of evolving engineering standards in the industry, Farris says
that Trail King has continued to remain a “people-driven” organization that takes great pride in
maintaining strong relationships with its employees, its dealers, and its customers to deliver the
best trailers and customer service in the industry.

Looking to the Future
Farris thinks Trail King’s future as a driving force in the global market is a bright one. With a
diverse and growing line-up of expertly built trailers designed to work right the first time and
long into the future, Farris says that Trail King remains committed to building trailers that meet
or exceed the challenges and demands of a busy industry.

“By staying true to our founding principles of quality and customer service,” Farris adds, “we
expect to remain an industry leader for many years to come.”

Trail King can be accessed online at www.trailking.com.

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