H.G. “Doc” Watkins has been making trailers for almost half a century, and will celebrate his 50th year in the business next month.
In the time he’s been building trailers at his plant in Madill, he’s watched his business grow along with the public’s desire for stock trailers, as well as the average size of the trailers themselves.
“When I started, 16-foot was a large trailer,” he said. “Now, 24-foot is about average.”
Before breaking onto the stock trailer scene, Watkins said he built 26 miles of interstate highway fencing. He realized that field was lucrative, but would keep him away from home more than he’d like.
“I had a small ranching operation at that time,” he said. “I was hunting for something that would subsidize my ranching.”
The prevalence of stock trailers exploded in the years since Watkins set up shop. He speculated when he began his operation, there might have been three stock trailers in all of Marshall County. Now, he said there’s over 300.
“Nowadays it’s not convincing someone he needs a stock trailer, it’s convincing him he needs yours,” he said.
The company sells trailers across the United States and throughout the world, including Brazil, Germany, and even two trailers to Australia.
“The freight was more expensive than the trailers,” he said.
■ WHO WORKS THERE
When he began, Watkins said it was just him and one more hand working. The plant expanded to 250 employees at its peak of production, but now employs 78 welders, painters, sheet metal workers and trim hands.
He said the hardest thing is keeping good welders on staff, especially aluminum welders, because of the high amount of manufacturing in the area.
■ WHY MADILL?
Watkins, a third-generation Marshall County resident, said his family has been a fixture in the area since after the Civil War, and doesn’t plan on changing that any time soon.
“I’ve been in the cattle business since I was 16 years old, on my own,” he said. “There’s always been some of us raising cattle east of Madill.”
■ PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
As the company’s 50th anniversary approaches, Watkins said he wonders why he hasn’t retired yet.
“I wonder why I’m still working,” he said.
He said plans for future growth are uncertain due to market conditions.
“With the economy the way it is, we’re lucky to be working what we’ve got,” he said.
He hopes an economic upswing will improve business enough to allow for more workers.
“I’ve got a lot of places we could work more hands, if the market would tell us it’s necessary,” he said.
Phil Banker 221-6542
