Business is good for new trailer
dealership
“I’m very happy with how well things are
going,” said Klaft.
“Considering the time of the year, we’re very
happy with sales,” added Schwartzwalter.
Both
owners also had high praise for the shop’s service department, run by brothers
Fernando and Miguel Robles.
“They
know this business inside and out,” said Klaft.
“They
are outstanding mechanics,” Schwartzwalter stated.
“They are especially knowledgeable when it comes to maintenance repairs and
installation of hitches and electrical needs.”
The
Robles brothers have more than 20 years experience in trailer mechanics and
worked for Schwartzwalter before he retired a few
years ago.
“I
retired, but there was a lot of demand for me to stay in the industry, so I’m
back at it again,” he said, smiling. “I’ve always been in trailer sales.”
A
native of Minnesota, he worked for trailer manufacturers as a representative
for 23 years, finally moving to Buellton in 1985.
“I
was trying to find a dealer for the area and drove through thinking I could get
some ideas,” he explained. “I liked it so much, I decided to be the dealer
here, and I’ve been here ever since.”
At
first his wife, Ann, and daughter, Jane, didn’t know if they wanted to move to
the Santa Ynez Valley, but now they love it, he said. However, Ann still
travels to Minnesota during the summers for a quiet stay at their lake house.
With
more than 45 years’ experience in the business, there isn’t much about trailers
that Schwartzwalter doesn’t know. He also knows about
horses and cattle and feed — things that trailers haul — and what works best
for ranchers who need to move animals long distances to auctions or other
events.
Shows,
auctions and rodeos are held, sometimes every weekend, so trailers need to be
durable and able to withstand long road trips, Schwartzwalter
said. Trip examples include visits to Las Vegas, Nev., Los Angeles, Sacramento,
and Phoenix, Ariz.
Brand
names for trailers now on the dealership lot include Hart, 4-Star, Logan and
Wells Cargo. He also plans to bring in utility trailers in the next few weeks.
The inventory includes trailers with living quarters, one of their most popular
items. A few trailers are being sold on consignment.
“We
have people calling us from all over the state — they’re glad we’re in business
in such a central location,” Schwartzwalter added.
Klaft, a local rancher, owned a livestock
feed and pharmaceutical business before retiring three years ago. He, too,
decided he wanted to keep busy with another business and joined Schwartzwalter as a partner to sell trailers at the
Buellton location. Klaft grew up in the area and still
runs cattle at his ranch. When he’s not working, he and his wife, Vaughnie, enjoy fishing and hunting.
“The trailer business is doing very well, in spite of the
rainy weather we’ve had, and the service department is very busy,” Klaft said. “We’ve been well-received by the community and
it’s a good location. We all make a good team, and you can’t ask for much more
than that.”