Member of the Month: Red Fern Dynamics

By Elizabeth Moore, NATM Tracks Editor

The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers has achieved many accomplishments over the years, from instituting a Compliance Verification Program to launching Trailer Safety Week, but it is important to remember the Association would not be where it is today without its members. Over 70 industry volunteers serve on committees and the Board of Directors, with countless more helping NATM with special projects and lending their knowledge when needed. To acknowledge the dedication and support of members, NATM is launching a new Member of the Month feature that will be published in Tracks along with the monthly NATM Insider eNews. This issue’s feature member is Red Fern Dynamics and its co-owners Charles and Pam Daugherty.

Based out of Cleveland, GA., Red Fern Dynamics is a trailer manufacturing company that specializes in custom-built mobile kitchens. Unbeknownst to Charles, food trucks had been in his family for decades. His grandfather and uncle had the first licensed food truck in Memphis in the 1950s.

While it was always Pam’s and Charles’s intention to build a proper mobile kitchen from scratch, they quickly realized that this would also involve the design and building of the frames as well. “Even though there are many excellent companies that build fantastic cargo trailers, they are not designed to have the weight distributed in an irregular manner nor are they setup to run electric systems and gas lines to code. The building of a proper base frame and chassis is paramount to the development of a mobile kitchen. It cannot be overstated. We had to custom design multiple components that are proprietary to make that happen,” Pam and Charles explained.

Red Fern Dynamics joined NATM at its inception in 2016 and has been a member ever since. In addition, Pam Daugherty, coowner of Red Fern Dynamics, won the Pam O‘Toole Trusdale Woman in Manufacturing Award in 2020. For Pam and Charles, NATM was “immediately instrumental to understand the base build of the trailers.” NATM gave Charles and Pam the credibility and resources they needed to build the base trailer and ensure they were meeting federal standards.

Amongst the many benefits NATM offers its members, Charles cited the Compliance Verification Program (CVP) consultations and the NATM Convention & Trade Show as vital to their success. The consultations provide the Daugherty’s peace of mind that they are building trailers that meet regulations while the NATM Convention & Trade Show allows them to make connections with like-minded peers who work alongside them in

Fun Facts!

•Best piece of advice: •A short pencil is better than a long memory- Charles •Mistakes are portals of discovery- Pam

•Favorite hobby and why: •We are absolute foodies, so we garden to make the food and cook to eat the food.

•Favorite dessert: •Homemade vanilla ice cream with peaches or strawberries.

•Favorite book and movie: •Where the Red Fern Grows. This is where their company name comes from!

•Top item on your bucket list: •Traveling to Italy.

•Favorite vacation spots: •Cruises to anywhere or skiing up in the mountains.

•Pineapple on pizza: •Yes!

Red Fern Dynamics has been a member of NATM since its inception.

the industry. The first trade show that the team attended was a “game-changer” as Pam puts it; they came with a list of questions in hand and got ideas and help from other attendees and exhibitors. Beyond that, Charles encourages new members to have “every resource [NATM] offers integrated into the business.” He goes on, “The Association has pulled together, what I think to be, the ultimate standard, the threshold of what the industry needs to meet.”

When it comes to how they run their business, Charles and Pam are no strangers to hard work and integrity. “The why of our business,” Charles stated, “is the customer. Because we sell complete products, we are building their dream. [Our trailers] are what is going to make them a living or expand their company.” Their focus is on the customer and building the best product. Every aspect of the trailer must have integrity, and that means the people building it, too. Pam cites the old adage, “You can’t be an extraordinary company with ordinary people. You need extraordinary people, too.” Anyone who cares and is willing to learn will find a home at Red Fern.

Over the years, Pam and Charles have had amazing opportunities to work with many types of clients; from high-profile chefs to large brick-and-mortar chains to family-owned businesses. One of Charles’ favorite projects was building a mobile kitchen for the head chef of a Ritz Carlton. Pam enjoys any project that’s out of the “ordinary.” Some of her favorites include kitchens for a croissant company and a cinnamon roll company. It’s hard to believe they aren’t hungry all day!

To learn more about Red Fern Dynamics, visit www.RedFernDynamics.com or call (678) 717-4600. If you would like to know more about NATM’s Member of the Month feature, contact NATM Assistant Director Meghan Ryan at Meghan.Ryan@natm.com.