Building good relationships a priority for company head

The promotion to president of a company usually brings with it excitement, prestige and a little bit of back-slapping.

But when North Carolina native Carol Lowe became president of Trail King Industries in November 2008, she entered an economically volatile situation that left 42 employees laid off less than a month after Lowe took control of the Mitchell-based manufacturing company.

“It was miserable,” Lowe told The Daily Republic this week in a soft southern drawl. “I was new to the community, new to the role and the first thing I have to do is start reducing the size of the organization.”

Since her challenging first days, though, Trail King appears to be recovering from the tumultuous times that resulted in approximately 150 layoffs since Lowe was first hired.

Today, with 40 recent hires and a new focus on efficiency, Lowe is hoping to help bring about better days for the company, which has been producing specialized trailers since 1974.

Lowe is a certified public accountant who earned a master’s degree in business administration from Duke University. She places a strong emphasis on building relationships during good times and bad, a philosophy that keeps her on the road talking with employees, managers and customers. She asks them what Trail King can do better.

“In addition to finding out their needs from a business perspective, I’m trying to find out things about them personally,” Lowe said. “I really try to spend as much time out in the field seeing our equipment work and getting to know the users of the equipment.”

The specialized trailer manufacturer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Carlisle Companies, a publicly traded, global manufacturing company.

With a crew of 449, Trail King produces trailers for agricultural, construction and commercial use at factories in Mitchell on Norway Avenue and North Ohlman Street and in West Fargo, N.D. A plant in Brookville, Pa. was closed last year.

The desire to strengthen relationships is one that lessens the challenge of being a female in a male-dominated industry, Lowe said, although she acknowledges that some traditions of the business can still prove difficult.

“A lot of business sometimes is done on the golf course or while hunting and I don’t really do that part of it. My hobbies are more around reading, shopping or spending time with my family,” she said. “I probably have to work harder to find the connection with business colleagues, whereas for men who maybe grew up hunting, fishing or playing golf, it’s a very easy thing.”

She makes up for it with enthusiasm for the industry. Lowe plans to ride with a customer from Tulsa to Dallas soon. She hopes to learn more about the client’s side of the business.

“I’ll wear my jeans and boots and just ride in the truck, talking to the driver about what he likes about the trailer, what he doesn’t and what his challenges are,” Lowe said. “Every business is about relationships.”

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