Sunrise Trailer Sales
Interviewed by Melanie Huggett
Gone are the days when horses were our primary mode of transportation. These days, horses are the ones being transported in trailers to competitions, trailheads, arenas, barns, and more.
The need for safe, reliable trailers to carry this precious cargo, and knowledgeable horse people to assist in their selection, was the genesis of the now 20-year-old company, Sunrise Trailer Sales.
Whether you need a two-horse trailer for occasional jaunts away from home, or a large rig with living quarters in which to spend your weekends during show season, British Columbia’s Sunrise Trailer Sales knows the ins and outs of trailering horses. I sat down with Gord Firth, owner of Sunrise Trailer Sales, to learn more about the business of trailer sales and what Sunrise has to offer.
Horse Journals: Tell me about Sunrise Trailer Sales. How did your company get started?
Gord Firth: Back in 1990 a friend named Jim Robinson approached me about getting into the horse trailer sales business because there was no one in BC doing it. At the time I was working for a company called Pack Brake Engine Brakes where I’d gotten a fairly good education in business, manufacturing, and metallurgy.
In 1991 there was an economic slowdown in BC and Pack Brake asked us to go on a shortened work week, so I decided to go and do trailer sales on my own. I bought Jim out and began to work at Sunrise on a full-time basis.
We originally started working out of Jim’s house in the front yard and then we moved to a gas station owned by a friend of mine. Once I bought Jim out we moved to 200 St. and #10 Highway (Langley area). Then in 1993 we moved to Stampede Tack. In 1996 we moved into the current Abbotsford location. In 2000 we moved into the Kelowna office, and currently we operate from three locations: Cloverdale, Abbotsford, and Kelowna. And we’ve purchased our fourth location in Prince George.
HJ: What brands of trailers do you sell?
GF: In August 1991 I met with the owners of Trails West and we decided to become a dealer for them. We’ve been one of their top five dealers since then. In 1992 we became a Wells Cargo dealer. We’ve carried Sundowner since 1998, and we’ve just started with Logan Coach.
HJ: Who is your average customer? Are your customers mostly located in BC, or do you ship outside the province?
GF: We have a very broad base of customers. We have customers who are just getting into the horse industry as well as those who have been in the horse industry for 50 years. For example, 80-year-old George Tidball (owner of Thunderbird Show Park in Langley, BC) just bought another trailer.
Our market is mainly in Western Canada and the US. The majority of our trailers are sold within BC, but we also sell into the US and to Alberta and Saskatchewan.
HJ: Tell us about your team.
GF: Our team is comprised of a number of really good employees. Mark Perry has been with us since 1996. Reg Slin has been with us for about ten years, and Sandy Perry in our Abbotsford office has also been with us for ten years. Perrin Van Weston has been with us for five years, and Bruce Morel has been in the service department for six years. Ian Tipton, in the Kelowna office, has been with us for about six years. And just recently we’ve brought in Travis Rempell.
HJ: What do you enjoy most about your job? What are the challenges?
GF: I certainly enjoy dealing with people. I enjoy the horse people because they are different. One of my biggest challenges is that I don’t get to spend as much time dealing with customers as I once did. Once you get to a certain size, the business side of things takes a lot of time.
HJ: What sets you apart from other trailer dealerships?
GF: We’re truly horse people. We know and understand horses and have a great deal of horse experience. I’ve been in horses for 28 years. When I got my own first horse trailer there was no one selling them, so I had to learn on my own what made a good trailer. I was one of the first people in BC to have an angle haul back in 1984.
I’ve hauled up to 60,000 miles in one year. I get out and use the horse trailers and understand what it takes to make a good horse trailer. I can relate my good experiences to the customers and hopefully improve their good experiences.
We also have a number horse people on staff. Travis Rempell grew up in the horse industry, and he just came back from training with world champion horseman, Bob Avila for two years. Ian Tipton has done reining, cattle penning, Western Pleasure, and was at one time on a horse show on Shaw. I’ve done team-roping, calf roping, cattle penning, and a brief stint in cutting.
We’ve also been involved in the horse industry for a number of years by sponsoring several different events. Rather than sponsor people, we sponsor events so everyone gets use of our sponsorship. We’ve really pushed the industry from the grassroots level.
We have a staff member who does in-house financing. No one else in the industry has that. If someone calls in the morning, we can get them out the door and on the road within the same day. Where the bank will only give a five year loan, we will give a 15 year loan which keeps payments low so you can afford to keep the trailer.
HJ: Do you have future plans or goals you would like to tell our readers about?
GF: We’ve purchased a property in Prince George and are hoping to open it up next year. It’s been put off for some years because shortly after I bought the property I learned I was going to be a dad, and I wanted to spend as much time with my daughter as I could.
HJ: Is there anything else that you would like our readers to know about Sunrise Trailer Sales?
GF: We’d like to thank all the people who have bought trailers with us, and all the people who have bought multiple trailers.
The fact that people have bought multiple trailers says a lot about our company and staff. We provide a comfortable environment for people to select their trailers.
Photos courtesy of Sunrise Trailer Sales