Titan Trailers Strengthens Sales and Service in Western Canada
June 30, 2009
Coquitlam, BC - Mike Kloepfer, President of Titan Trailers Inc., is pleased to announce that western Canada’s largest trailer sales and service network has been appointed as exclusive distributor for Titan Trailers for the Provinces of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Sid Keay, President of Ocean Trailer Inc., confirmed that his company has taken on the Titan line from BC to Manitoba. “Titan Trailers is a line we have coveted for many years. When we heard that there might be opportunity to become their western dealer, I called right away.”
According to Keay, Mike Kloepfer flew out to Ocean Trailer’s head office in Coquitlam, BC, shortly after they spoke on the phone. “We just met for a couple hours, got to know each other, shook hands, and that was it!” he said. “We are very excited to be working with another Canadian-owned family business like our own. These are the kind of people we like to do business with.”
Keay established Ocean Trailer as a trailer rental business in 1981. The firm grew quickly and later developed its sales business as an authorized dealer for a large US-based trailer manufacturer. Ocean Trailer now represents several major trailer brands through five branches in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba. The firm’s sales, leasing, rental and trailer service operations now employ more than 220 staff and has a rental/lease fleet of more than 8000 units.
Titan – The Perfect Match
Despite Ocean Trailer’s large inventory, with more than 1000 trailers in stock covering most hauling applications, Keay sees his Titan Trailers’ line filling a valuable niche. “Until now, we have had no walking floors in our fleet. The big US manufacturers don’t custom build for Canadian payloads and road limits. And they don’t do any “one-offs” for special applications, the way Titan does. We have customers who really need trailers specially built for what’s legal in Canada so they can operate efficiently; Titan offers them a far better cost of ownership – Titan THINWALL™ trailers carry more, they load and unload faster; they can handle different products and different weights.”
Keay notes that much of the specialty hauling in his territories is handled by smaller fleets operating a mix of trailer types for different contracts: grain trailers, refuse trailers, a chip truck and reefers. “We have been selling into those fleets for years,” he explains. “Titan will give us more of what they need.”
While the transportation industry has slowed overall with recent economic conditions, Keay believes that this is still a good time for Ocean Trailer to build its business. “I’m not going anywhere,” he says, “so I have no problem investing in our future. Some segments of the industry are not affected by the economy as directly as others. The refuse business is a good example: cities are still producing garbage; and the “green” movement includes the need for efficient movement of refuse. Titan revolutionized the refuse industry with its THINWALL walking floor trailers and tippers. That will be our focus for now at most Ocean Trailer branches.”
Keay reports that a team of his staff will be flying out to Ontario to attend “Titan school” and get familiarized with Titan’s unique manufacturing processes. “When Mike was out here, guys in our service crew were running around saying ‘I sure hope we get that deal!’ They know, it’s always nice to have a product that comes in right.”
Titan Trailers is equally pleased with the new arrangement. Mike Kloepfer says: “We’re looking forward to a strong, long-term relationship with Ocean Trailer. They have an excellent service reputation throughout the West. Sid Keay has a real appreciation of what we are trying to do at Titan; I have no doubt that he and his people will do a great job taking our story to customers, and backing it up.”
Titan is currently working on delivery of the initial stocking order for the five Ocean Trailer branches. “Titan trailers will be offered for lease, long-term rental or sale, just like our other major lines,” Keay said. “And we always stock what we sell.”
About Titan Trailers
Titan Trailers is a world-class innovation leader in the hauling industry long recognized for job-specific functionality and attention to manufacturing detail. Titan Trailers offer business-minded haulers a complete line of trailers utilizing advanced design and manufacturing technologies based on the patented THINWALL extruded aluminum panel. Titan focuses its extensive R&D activities on making its trailers the best business choice for operators in the custom trailer market.
For more information about Ocean Trailer, call 1(800) 891-8858 or contact a local branch in Coquitlam, BC, Delta, BC, Calgary, AB, Edmonton, AB, or Winnipeg, MB.
For more information about Titan Trailers, visit the Titan web site at www.titantrailers.com.
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