Ellensburg, Washington, Nov. 14, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In 1991, the Luft family – including owner and founder Tom, wife Teresa, and kids Josey and Shane – moved from Kansas to Washington State. It was a big move, both in terms of distance and cultural change. Tom Luft bought a trailer to make the move, and soon after the family arrived in Ellensburg, Washington, someone asked to buy it from him. As a pepper harvester, Tom was required to travel back to the Midwest frequently, where trailer manufacturing is more common than in the Pacific Northwest. He would bring a new trailer home each time he made a trip, and the same thing would happen – someone in his new state would ask to buy it from him. Something clicked, and Tom realized that there was a large market for selling trailers in the region. Luft Trailer Sales was born, and during the first year Tom spent every night in his driveway installing hitches after the workday was over.
With ten employees currently working at the dealership, a business that might be considered small in other industries is considered mid-size by horse trailer dealership standards. All four members of the family are actively involved in the business, and two of the service repairmen have worked at the dealership for over twenty years. As values of integrity are deeply engrained in the business, it has always been a priority for employees to feel like family and for customers to be treated like family. The Luft family is also heavily involved in local community events and organizations, frequently sponsoring 4H and equine groups around Washington State and supporting equestrian sports.
Today, Luft Trailer Sales is known as one of the largest and one of the only trailer dealers of its kind in Washington. The Luft family’s business offers specialty horse and living quarter-style trailers, in addition to more common types like utility and equipment trailers. Because the specialty units that Luft Trailer Sales offers are not available just anywhere, the dealership earns business from customers in Canada, Oregon, California, and states as far as the East Coast as well. The dealership has even sent trailers to Hawaii, Iceland, and Australia – which would have been impossible without a website.
“Everyone shops online these days,” explains Josey Luft, who is now the Sales Manager at her family’s dealership. “People all over the country need horse trailers, but there are limited dealerships that have them.”
Relying on a local provider for their website in past years, Luft says that her dealership’s trailer units and details were not represented well online. The dealership decided to make a change and signed on with Dealer Spike in 2012. Luft credits Dealer Spike’s eye for innovation as well as the “great customer service” for her business’ loyalty to the web provider for the past five years. “We struggle with technology, but Dealer Spike is always suggesting helpful updates and changes before we even think to request them on our own…and if we do need anything, they are always just a call away!” Luft says. In addition, Luft says that the amount of sales leads that come in through the website each day is huge for her business. “The website is extremely important to us,” she says. “Our leads help us get in touch with a ton of customers. We are constantly on the site and answering emails.”
Luft says that trailer dealerships are “always behind,” when it comes to digital, but having a website and actively collecting sales leads puts her dealership ahead of many others. “The industry is definitely catching up,” she says. “People are starting to understand – especially with smartphones and tablets, everyone is so much more connected.”
Currently, Luft Trailer Sales is running an end-of-year promotion on horse and live-in trailers. Luft says that it’s just an added bonus that Dealer Spike helps her business advertise sales, with the website playing such a big part in promoting her family’s dealership worldwide.
Luft Trailer Sales
This trailer dealership grew from a double-wide trailer house and pasture in 1991 to a fully operating dealership and service center. In 2017, the business has grown into a 3,000 square-foot showroom for parts and accessories, a 4,000 square-foot shop and receiving room, plus five acres filled with trailers in Ellensburg, Washington. The Luft family business carries new and pre-owned trailers of all kinds: Horse, stock, living quarters, enclosed cargo, snowmobile, flatbed, dump, and utility.
Dealer Spike Trailer
Dealer Spike is a world-wide digital advertising software-as-service (SaaS) company focused on helping dealers increase leads and sales online. We provide innovative, powerful, distinctive web solutions and tools to thousands of dealers worldwide. Our expertise comes from real-world dealership experience and a passion for listening and responding to our dealers' needs in the marketplace.