Lamar Trailers Customer Spotlight
Today we’re talking with Chance Neal from Lamar Trailers in Sumner, Texas. Lamar is one of the leading trailer manufacturers in the United States, with thousands of customers across the country. Chance is the Safety Manager for Lamar and we talked about how the company got started, what they manufacture, their company culture, and their experiences with Reliant Finishing Systems.
So, how did Lamar Trailers get started?
We started back in 2003 in a small red barn. George Fehr founded the company. He’s a devout man and a hard worker. When he first got started, it wasn’t about building a big business, it was about taking care of his family, creating opportunities, and honoring God. Through diligence and strong ethics, the business grew.
In 2018, after a period of rapid expansion, George refocused Lamar on excellence rather than growth. God has blessed him tremendously and today his company is thriving. Lamar has over 200 employees, a 200,000 square foot facility, and we ship roughly 50-60 trailers a day. George actually just won the Lifetime Achievement award from the North American Trailer Dealers Association. It’s just a testament to George–he’s a great guy and an excellent owner who believes if you’re willing to work and stay faithful, opportunity will follow.
Read more about George’s success story here: https://www.natda.org/2026-lifetime-achievement-award–george-fehr
Willie Peters is our CEO. He’s been with the company for years and continues to focus on excellence and team-building. These guys that oversee the company have done a great job of making sure that even though we’re getting bigger, we still have that mom-and-pop feel. Everyone knows each other’s names and you’re not just a number here.
It’s important to mention that God is at the core of our company. Our company’s values include honoring God, serving humbly, and keeping it simple. I believe these values help set us apart and ensure that we treat our customers the way we’d like to be treated.
What products does the company make?
We predominantly produce deckover goosenecks in different sizes and configurations. We do a lot of dump trailers as well–telescopic, small dumps, utility dumps. Car and equipment haulers are another product line we offer, as well as utility trailers.
Part of our core value of keeping it simple applies to our products. We offer one color: Lamar Gray. Staying away from frivolous options like custom colors that might complicate our business allows us to really hammer down the things that are important to the customer.
How long have you been powder coating?
We’ve been powder coating our products for a long time. Originally, it was liquid painting and then the industry shifted and the demand for powder coating increased. Powder is the superior product from everything I’ve seen.
What was your main reason for bringing powder coating in house?
When we purchased our equipment from Reliant, we were focused on expansion and increasing throughput–trying to get more products out the door while maintaining our quality standards. The reason we went with Reliant was that we had done a lot of research prior to buying and felt like Reliant’s products were streamlined and simple. That was sort of the deciding factor. The equipment looked great and seemed easy and intuitive to use. It was no hassle to get the equipment installed and maintenance is straight-forward.
What about the installation process. How did that go?
It was pretty “hands-off” and went well. The installation technicians were quick and efficient. It was pretty easy for me. When you pay for industrial-grade equipment, you want to make sure it’s installed the right way. The installers were attentive and polite and answered all my questions. Really, it was a set it and forget it type deal.
What did you think of the support materials you received from Reliant? Maintenance guides, equipment manuals, wiring schematics, that kind of stuff?
It’s great for the typical buyer and there’s plenty of documentation to wade through. Whenever I had any further questions, the Reliant engineers and techs were quick to jump on the phone or get me to the person I needed to talk to.
I know you’ve had a couple service issues since getting the equipment installed back in 2024. How has the support been after the sale?
Service after the sale has been great. Getting warranty parts has been super easy. Finding someone to talk to and answer my questions has also been easy. Reliant has shown a big interest in our success. We recently had Reliant’s CEO and lead engineer visit our facility to review the equipment and discuss a future expansion. The Reliant team is great and so is the customer service–one of the best places I’ve dealt with on something like this.
Chance, that sort of answers the next question about Lamar’s future-it sounds like further growth may be on the horizon. Thank you for choosing to partner with Reliant Finishing Systems and for taking time to chat with us about your business. We wish you continued success!
Visit Lamar Trailers at https://www.lamartrailers.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/lamartrailers.
You can click https://lamartrailers.com/dealer-map/ to find a Lamar trailer dealer near you.
Interested in adding powder coating capabilities or bringing them in-house? Contact a Reliant specialist at (256) 355-9000 or click here to discuss your powder coating equipment needs.