Sept. 22, 2006 marked the end of an era for Doonan Trailer Corp. Wendell Doonan, who started the business in 1973, sold the company’s assets to a newly formed entity owned by Michael Gordy, Elgen Reynolds and a third silent partner.
In an effort to build upon Doonan’s industrywide reputation, the trio elected to name the new company Doonan Specialized Trailer LLC. The new owners have 75 years of combined experience in the commercial trailer industry; most recently, Reynolds and Gordy were part of the senior management team at one of the largest platform manufacturers in the United States, which built nearly 7,000 trailers in 2006.
According to Reynolds, Doonan now targets a niche market of highly specialized platform trailers; product lines include custom flatbed and drop decks, oilfield trailers, boat trailers, extendables and double drops. Given Doonan’s diverse product offering and a focus on selectively increasing its dealer base, the owners believe they can produce 1,000 units in their 86,000-square-feet facility located in Great Bend, Kan., during 2007.
For more information, go to www.doonan.com.
