Hale Trailer Brake & Wheel
Voorhees, New Jersey
Barry Hale, President

What started as a trailer rental business has diversified and expanded into one of the largest new and used trailer dealerships in the country. Yet after 30 years, Barry Hale, president of Hale Trailer, still relies on proven business fundamentals to keep his dealership growing. Here, in a recent interview, Barry talks about his business, his operating philosophy, and the benefits of working with East Manufacturing.

On Business Growth
We're probably a lot different than the typical trailer dealer. When I started Hale Trailer in 1975, I had a trailer rental background and one location. Now you'll find Hale Trailer offices from Maine to Florida. And we still rent trailers, but we've diversified into four business areas: service, parts, rentals and sales, new and used. All our eggs are not in one basket. Hale Trailer is happy to buy, sell or rent.

On what trailer customers want:
Buying a trailer is so often an impulse buy. They need it, they want it–now! That's why we believe in the philosophy of having plenty of inventory on hand. We don't want to just provide quotes. We want to be a market player. We want to sell you the product you need when you need it. We always want to be able to respond in an expanding market.

On business fundamentals:
I really don't think business has changed all that much since I started. You still have to do the fundamentals: take care of customers, watch your finances. I also believe in the strength of diversifying. We've never been afraid to assume a reasonable risk if it means it puts us in a better position to capitalize on market opportunities. Diversifying allows you to be more risk tolerant. That's why we're still in the rental business. We carry more inventory than other dealers because our rental fleet gives us an “exit strategy” that assures us we'll be able to recover our investment over time.

On East Manufacturing:
If I had to describe East in two words, they would be “top shelf”. Everything they do, they do right. I take it as gospel that every East product is superbly engineered and well constructed. I know that every East trailer we sell will provide superior performance over its lifetime, that it will be a good investment for the owner in terms of performance and residual value. I honestly believe it would be silly for anyone not to buy from East...or from us.

On working with East:
For 20 years, we've had a strong working partnership with East. We match up well with their business philosophy and their core values: quality, innovation and integrity. East has always been high on the value equation, and I've always respected the way they stand tall in terms of living up to their responsibilities, whether it's meeting deadlines or backing up warranty promises. That attitude starts at the top and runs throughout the organization. I believe that if you're innovative, consistently provide quality and do business with integrity, then you're going to endure during tough times. That's been the East formula for success, and it's one that's worked well for Hale Trailer as well.

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March, 1986