Welcome to summer!
I want to thank all of you who were able to attend our first ever Dealer Conference. I was extremely pleased with the number of dealer representatives that attended. We gained some very valuable feedback on what to do for our next conference, and it was great to be able to put a face to a name in many instances. I really enjoyed the Tuesday night get together at the restaurant. It was fun watching everyone interact. Thanks again for helping make the conference such a success! I hope you were able to gain some information that will help you market and sell SmithCo side dump trailers!
As you know, we celebrated our 30th Anniversary on the same day as the Dealer Conference. We had close to 500 people attend. It was a great day celebrating the past 30 years and looking toward the future! I know many of you were able to stay and take part in the festivities.
As we head into the 2nd half of 2024, we are starting to see a slowdown in quotes and orders. This is something we expected, especially in a General Election year. If sales don't keep pace with production over the last half of the year, our plan is to keep cranking out trailers and put as many on the ground in "stock" condition, so that we are prepared to handle what I believe will be a good 2025.
At this time, we have no plans to slow down production. If the Fed decides to drop interest rates in the next few months, perhaps we can minimize the effects of a slowdown. Although 2024 has been a good year so far, the last half might be difficult. I'm looking at 2025 as a year that could be significantly better. A lot of things need to fall into place, but I believe the ingredients are there for a really good 2025.
As I look toward the future, I truly believe we are positioned for significant growth in the next 2-5 years. To that end, we are planning and taking steps to increase trailer production in 2025. Our goal is to produce 600+ trailers next year. That's a rather large increase in production year over year, but that's our goal! The significant increase in orders for 5 & 6 axle units makes this production increase more difficult to achieve, but it's one we're ready to take on!
It seems repetitive, but it's the truth... I truly appreciate our partnership with you, and I thank you for all you do to help us continue to make SmithCo Side Dump Trailers North America's #1 brand!
I hope you are able to take some time to enjoy the summer with family and friends!
Best Regards,
