MOMumental DAD: Kevin Jackson, Founder of Companion Trailers

What is the name of your business, and what specifically does your business provide?

Companion Trailers, Inc. : we manufacture, sell and rent a lightweight luggage trailer in Fort Worth, TX. These trailers are ideal for vacation road trips, camping, tailgating and more.

How long have you been in this business?

Since March 2006, so just over 3 years.

What was your background before getting into this business?

I am a qualified accountant and auditor.  My business experience started from being a financial auditor focusing on small businesses in all industries from restaurants to manufacturing to services. I have experienced all sides of the table from auditor to controller to CFO to owner. It has been a natural progression that has given me awesome experience, while meeting many wonderful people, friends and mentors from all over the world.

Being an accountant by trade, has allowed me to be very entrepreneurial in all respects, from auditing the inner workings of businesses to helping new business owners with their businesses to running and owning various businesses.

How did you learn develop the idea for the business?  

South Africa has a status of a 3rd world country, but they have great innovations and products. The version of the trailer that we manufacture here in the USA is one of them. We are an outdoor nation along with the Australians and Europeans. My partner and his family (family of 4) re-engineered the trailer for US D.O.T. regulations and built one in his garage and used it to travel the USA, since he could not find anything suitable in the United States.

As he travelled, people wanted one and were very interested. I prepared his business plan to go commercial. I liked the idea, concept and potential and of course the business plan. This style of trailer has been used around the world for the past 25 years, but never gone commercial within the North Atlantic continent. We saw the writing on the walls when gas prices climbed and the new legislative effort to become greener and less reliant on foreign oil. This meant that there will be an increase in smaller, fuel efficient vehicles, similar to that of smaller countries like South Africa and Australia.

Now we have a trailer ready to serve the market. These trailers are ideal for SUV owners, especially when the 3rd row passenger seat is used. Since the design is so unique and the concept is still in its infancy for the US, we have a rental division located at our factory in Hurst for people to experience the trailer for themselves at affordable rental rates.

How are you getting the word out about your trailers?

People that see our trailer for the 1st time think it’s a boat and want to install a motor or they think it is a new age coffin!!!

Seriously, we are building awareness of the trailers through word of mouth. We provide free week-end rentals as prizes to charities, school booster clubs and church organizations that they can use in silent auctions to raise funds. We also go tailgating and camping – where people who will need our product can see it!  To make it easier for people to try, we deliver the trailer rental to your house if you can’t make it to our facility. I have a family that lives in Dallas that has been recurred business because of this service and convenience. Both parents work full time and didn’t have the time to come around. I meet them after hours after their busy day.

But our customers are the best advertisers.  The president of the Lone Star Miata club and his wife rented a Companion Biker for their Miata sports car. They did a trip to San Diego, CA. Along the way, they got stopped or followed to town 3 times by traffic police, not because they were speeding or breaking the law. They got pulled over to look at the trailer/sports car combination because they had not seen such an aerodynamically designed trailer, much to the relief of the occupants.  This couple was so impressed with the experience of using the trailer, that they purchased a trailer and custom colored it to their ruby red Miata. Now his wife can go shopping in the Miata with the trailer attached.

What are your plans for the future of this business?  What goals do you have for it?

The short term plan is to try and get rental operations expanded within Texas to Austin, San Antonio and Houston. Then try and get rental operations outside Texas, especially along the East coast and West coast, as well as try and find dealers to sell and distribute the trailer in other states.

We want to help create jobs by establishing small assembly facilities and rental operations outside of Texas. I am looking for new or existing entrepreneurs to reach that goal.  Honestly, I’ve been a bit surprised that consumers aren’t supporting local manufacturing more than imported products. Locally produced products have better quality at a slightly higher price, but consumers are still opting for cheaper imports.

Describe what things you do to “give back” to the community.

We are proudly associated with Fossil Rim Wildlife reserve in Glen Rose,TX. We help promote the reserve at our trade shows to raise funds for conservation efforts. We make donations to the reserve from trailers sold at various functions.

I would like to donate the use of our trailers over Christmas time for toy runs, especially amongst the motor cycle groups. I even had an idea of dressing up a trailer as Santa’s sleigh and have little elves pull it in parades, filled with toys.  Maybe this Christmas I’ll actually have time to find a parade to do this in!

Tell us a little about your family:

I’m married with a 4 yr old daughter and another daughter due anytime – expected due date is July 1. My wife is an audit manager at a regional CPA firm – so we don’t see her between Jan-May every year due to tax season, but she makes up for it the rest of the year through her summer time schedule.

What does your typical day look like?

It starts at 8am and finishes at 5.30pm when I have to pick up my daughter from daycare.  First thing, I drop off daughter at school and off to the factory.  Then, check the emails and on-line inquiries.  I stay at the computer to update twitter and facebook and then also update our website (www.companiontrailers.com).  Then, I work on business development – trade show planning, networking groups, contacting dealers and other businesses.  Also, each day includes time in the factory, working on trailer assembly and decals.  I close out my day at the office confirming rentals for the week, then pick up my daughter from daycare (time flies when you are having fun!).

What are your big hobbies and interests outside of work?

I love food: cooking, eating and trying recipes. If there was an opening in the show Man vs Food I would go and apply. I am a TV-holic – thank goodness for DVR systems: Saturday and Sundays are catch-up days.

I am the social co-ordinator for the South African community in the Dallas-Fort worth area – planning various events.

I love my sports and try and find the time to play golf, tennis, squash, run and muay thai.
 

How does your family like you being a business owner?

Being your own boss is great, but comes with many inherent pressures. I enjoy the challenges, execution and strategic planning of a small business. It builds character, patience and faith – everyday is something new. It is easy to become a work addict, since small business owners are on the clock 24/7, 365 days a year.

My family is my cornerstone and pillar of strength – without their love and support, being a small business owner can be very tough and lonely.

Anything else you’d like to share with the MomsOutLoud readers?

Most of my rental customers that come to our facility are women, because their husbands are working and can’t get away to collect the trailer. Initially they are nervous because they are not used to towing anything. However, once I show them how easy it is to hitch and unhitch, load and unload, and assure them that towing is simple, they are happy to go home and show off to their spouses and comment that the towing was a breeze.