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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[1][2] and manufactures horse trailers, stock trailers, car trailers, motorcycle trailers, ATV trailers, utility trailers and specialty trailers such as luxury horse trailers.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Trailers, Transportation |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | Cresco, Iowa USA |
| Website | www.fthr.com |
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.[3]
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.[4] Today Featherlite is the official trailer of NASCAR[5] and supplies approximately 85 percent of NASCAR Sprint Cup teams with semi trailer race car haulers and vending trailers.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]
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.[6] 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.
Sponsorships
Featherlite is a sponsor of the following organizations and events:
- Equine
- American Quarter Horse Association[7]
- Clinton Anderson Wahl Walkabout Tour
- Saddle Up! with Dennis Brouse
- Appaloosa Horse Club[8]
- Iowa Equestrian Center
- Reis Ranch
- Auto/Racing
- NASCAR[5]
- IZOD Indycar Series
- Grand American Road Racing Association
- ARCA[9]
- 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
- ^ "Trailers". Horsetrailerworld.com. 2002-01-04. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Featherlite Trailer Factory Review, they make all types of great trailers, aluminum horse trailers, car haulers, NASCAR, cargo trailers and flatbeds". Mrtrailer.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Featherlite, Inc.: Information from". Answers.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ Aumann, Mark (2012-09-25). "Haulers become teams' home away from home". NASCAR. Retrieved 2012-10-25.
- ^ a b "Nascar.Com". Nascar.Com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "PerfectFit for Horse Trailers | Featherlite". Fthr.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Partners". AQHA. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
- ^ "ApHC Sponsors and Sponsorship Information". Appaloosa.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Sponsors". ARCAracing.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Sponsors - National Western Stock Show". Nationalwestern.com. Retrieved 2010-06-17.