Featherlite Trailers
 | This article contains promotional content. (March 2009) |
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (March 2009) |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Trailers, Transportation |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Cresco, Iowa USA |
| Website | www.fthr.com |
Featherlite Trailers is an all-aluminum trailer manufacturer, located in Cresco, Iowa. It has the distinction of being the oldest all-aluminum trailer brand in the United States.
History
The Featherlite brand name was first established in 1973 when the company created the first all-aluminum gooseneck livestock trailer. While the brand was started in Oklahoma, Featherlite Manufacturing Inc., located in Grand Meadow, Minnesota, acquired the brand and established itself as a company in 1988. The company relocated to Cresco, Iowa in 1993. In 1998, the company changed its name to Featherlite, Inc.[1]
Featherlite is closely associated with NASCAR. The company created the first ever custom aluminum race car semi trailer for NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt and team owner Richard Childress. Today Featherlite is the official trailer of NASCAR]][2] and supplies approximately 85 percent of NASCAR Sprint Cup teams with semi trailer race car haulers and vending trailers. Among the teams Featherlite has supplied are those of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
In 2006, Featherlite Trailers became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Universal Trailer Corporation.
Products
Featherlite manufactures all-aluminum trailers, using aluminum alloys such as 6061-T6. Outside of race trailers, their most well-known products are horse trailers and livestock trailers. However, the company offers a range of trailers for other pursuits. Their other branches include car trailers, motorcycle trailers, ATV trailers, snowmobile trailers, commercial/utility trailers and specialty trailers.
Featherlite emphasizes the customizability of its trailers[3]. To demonstrate their trailers' versatility, Featherlite maintains a virtual horse trailer design system, the Configurator, on its web site.
The most popular Featherlite trailer is its horse trailer Model 8541, a slant-load horse trailer that can be customized to haul 2 to 6 horses.
Specialty trailers
Featherlite creates business-to-business specialty trailers for organizations ranging from corporations to sports teams to state and federal government. Among the types of trailers it has manufactured are:
- Medical office trailers
- Emergency response trailers
- Mobile command centers
- Event marketing and display trailers
- Mobile museums
- Mobile office trailers
- Communications trailers
- Remote broadcast trailers
- Race car haulers
- Vending trailers
- Kitchen trailers
- Mobile office trailers
- Hospitality trailers
- Teaching/Educational trailers
- Mobile interactive museums
Clients of Featherlite Specialty Trailers have included Cessna, Indian Motorcycles, John Deere, Rubbermaid, Titleist, PGA, ESPN, Budweiser, Medtronic, the United States Coast Guard, the Dallas Cowboys, Major League Baseball, Harley-Davidson, Ford PowerStroke, Chevrolet, NASCAR, American Grand Am, Best Buy, Target, and DeWalt.
Sponsorships
Featherlite is a sponsor of the following organizations and events:
Equine
- American Quarter Horse Association[4]
- Clinton Anderson Wahl Walkabout Tour
- Saddle Up! with Dennis Brouse
- Appaloosa Horse Club[5]
- Iowa Equestrian Center
- Reis Ranch
Auto/Racing
- NASCAR[6]
- IZOD Indycar Series
- Grand American Road Racing Association
- ARCA[7]
- Super Chevy Show
Livestock
Achievements
- Built first ever custom aluminum NASCAR race car transporter for Dale Earnhardt/Richard Childress Racing
- Sponsor of NASCAR’s “Most Improved Driver” award
References
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2009) |
- ^ http://www.answers.com/topic/featherlite-inc
- ^ http://www.nascar.com/guides/sponsors/
- ^ http://www.fthr.com/horse-trailer/features-benefits/perfectfit/
- ^ http://www.aqha.com/partners/index.html
- ^ http://www.appaloosa.com/association/sponsors.htm
- ^ http://www.nascar.com/guides/sponsors/
- ^ http://www.arcaracing.com/sponsors.php
- ^ http://www.nationalwestern.com/nwss/sponsors/sponsors.php