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News and Events | Our own Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year
October 30, 2008
For the folks who know Harvey Stewart, and there are many, the Ernst & Young Atlantic Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year Award is a public confirmation of something they’ve known all along: He listens to his customers and provides them with the solutions they want.
Mr. Stewart built his first live-bottom trailer in 1999 for a local lime hauler whose conventional dump truck wasn’t meeting his needs. The lime would clump and stick, and tipping hazards were a constant threat. The solution was simple in Mr. Stewart’s view: “I looked at various concepts of live-bottom trailer designs and incorporated the best features from several designs to come up with the initial Trout River Design.”
Fast-forward three years from the first Trout River live-bottom trailer to 2002 when Mr. Stewart commissioned a newly-built manufacturing shop in Coleman, PEI, with floor space for three trailers to be built simultaneously. Within four years, despite work-flow enhancements within the shop and the construction of a separate paint shop, space was limiting the company’s capabilities to keep up with the growing demand for their unique bulk-carrier trailers. In 2006 an addition and redesign of the building saw the shop area grow to 30,000 square feet with staffing increased to sustain the increasing demand.
With a Canada-wide sales network and licensed Trout River Service Centres in Quebec, Ontario and Western Canada, the focus of the business has not strayed from the very first Trout River live bottom trailer. The company remains dedicated to its customers.
To illustrate the point, Mr. Stewart pulls out his cell phone and states, “you phone us and someone will answer. People hate leaving messages, so we make it our practice to answer every phone call.”
That dedication to customer needs and wants echoes true in every department at Trout River Industries and is a thriving philosophy among the staff of 43. As Mr. Stewart notes, “everyone at Trout River Industries is committed to the philosophy of constant improvement. We invite everyone here to look for ways to improve our operations and product.”
As a result of customer feedback and input from everyone from the sales and service folks in other parts of Canada to staff in all the on-site departments, the standard 2009 model of the 39-foot Trout River trailer now in production has no fewer than 26 modifications and improvements in design and manufacturing. The 2009 model is 1,000 pounds lighter than its predecessor and rolls through production significantly faster providing quicker delivery for the customer.
With 98 per cent of the trailers produced at the Coleman PEI shop sold out-of-province and the Canada-wide sales force determined to increase their sales, the company is also looking toward significant increases in international markets. Through a special licensing agreement, Trout River Trailers are built and sold in Australia, through Australasian Machinery PTY.
Employing the constant improvement philosophy throughout the manufacturing process has seen trailer production time cut by half in the past two years and work is on target to see it come down significantly in the months ahead.
Unlike other equipment, the Trout River live-bottom trailer is designed to work in a wide range of industries – everything from agriculture to delivering hot asphalt. As a result, the equipment can be used year-round rather than sitting idle through the off-season. As Mr. Stewart explains, that was one of the key demands customers identified early on. “They didn’t want their investment left sitting in the field for months on end.”
The other critical demand from customers throughout Trout River’s history has focused on safety. As bulk-load haulers are expected to deliver ever-increasing loads, the conventional dump technology poses continued tipping risks, which are alleviated with the live-bottom technology.
Trout River Industries is firmly seated in Western Prince Edward Island and committed to the community through both corporate sponsorship and personal involvement. Mr. Stewart sets an example for staff, serving periodically as chief with the West Point Volunteer fire Department.
Nominated in the spring by PEI Business Development, Mr. Stewart was honoured in May with a provincial Entrepreneur award, in June as an Atlantic finalist, and ultimately as the Ernst & Young Atlantic Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year at a formal gala in Halifax, Oct. 9.
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Harvey Stewart displays the Ernst & Young Atlantic Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year Award he received at a gala in Halifax, Oct. 9.
“We will serve our families, our community and our customers by respecting people and providing innovative product solutions.”
Trout River Industries Mission Statement
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