President’s Report › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › › ›

By Marty Lorick, Triple Crown Trailers

As the year comes to a close, I like to reflect on the National Association of Trailer Manufacturer’s (NATM) accomplishments before the enthusiasm of the new year kicks in. Your Association, its board, committees, and staff have worked to improve access to benefits and expand and recalibrate with the past year’s challenges and adjustments. This year held challenges for the light- and medium-duty trailer industry with the continuation of supply chain disruptions and workforce shortages. Despite this, the industry and the Association are finishing the year strong. As 2022 ends, it’s important to reflect on this year’s successes and be thankful for what we have accomplished through hard work and persistence.

The year started out strong with our reunion at the 2022 Convention & Trade Show in February in Tampa, Florida. After the cancellation of the 2021 show due to COVID-19, members flocked to Tampa in droves to enjoy sunshine and networking. The show saw near-record attendance registrations and we were a mere 11% short of breaking the 2019 all-time record.

Early this summer, more than 40 NATM members and staff met in Washington, D.C., June 13-15 for the annual Regulatory Roundup and Capitol Hill Visits. The past two years, COVID-19 had forced this event to be virtual. Staff and members were anxious to get back to Capitol Hill and bring industry concerns to the country’s leaders in-person. NATM member companies represent a notable portion of the U.S. workforce and contribute considerably to the gross domestic product. In 2021, more than 1,267,000 new trailers were registered in the U.S., representing approximately $5.78 billion in sales. With more than 1,000 member and dealer affiliate companies, the Association represents more than 387,910 American workers. It is crucial to communicate with legislators about issues facing the industry. The next event will be hosted in September 2023.

This fall, the NATM Educational Committee brought multiple webinars to the membership, including the Government Affairs Update in August; Statistical Surveys’ webinar on Trailer Registrations, Data and Trends in September; The State of the Economy and Role & Trajectory of Inflation in October; and a Trade and Tariff Update in November. For more information or to access the recordings, visit www.NATMShop.com

The Association launched a new website and membership database in September to improve the member experience and access to resources. The new Novi database will streamline event registration for the Convention and Trailer Safety Week, as well as allow members to enhance their online listings. For more information and to see the new site, visit www.NATM.com. Registration for the 2023 Convention & Trade Show in Fort Worth, Texas opened in October, and the show promises to be another record-breaking year. The Fort Worth region is surrounded by a hub of trailer manufacturing companies and the location boasts the highest NATM Convention attendance records. Make sure to take advantage of online registration, as all tickets will increase $50 onsite. For industry suppliers and trailer manufacturers looking to maximize their exposure, there is still time to sponsor and support the industry. To learn more, contact Meghan.Ryan@natm.com or visit www.NATM.com.

To my NATM family, I hope you all have a safe and happy “hauliday” season and a very Happy New Year! ■

Marty Lorick