Chip Schwein (R), the CEO and founder of Phoenix Trailers talks with PDB Editor Brady Kay at the Michigan facility.

In classical mythology, Phoenix was a legendary bird which according to one account, lived 500 years and burned itself to ashes on a pyre, only to rise alive from the ashes to live another period. For Phoenix Trailers its product offerings are not quite that dramatic – nor do they involve ashes – but the Michigan-based manufacturer strongly believes each new trailer it builds raises the bar a little higher in its quest to build the best trailers possible.

“We’re not the biggest, and don’t necessarily want to be the biggest, but at the end of the day I want everybody who works for me to go home and know they built the best product they could for our customers,” says Founder & CEO Chip Schwein who has been in the trailer industry since 1985. Chip spent nearly 20 years at Eagle Trailers, where he made substantial contributions to the company’s progress before beginning his own business.

In the fall of 2004, Chip started Phoenix Trailers with an understanding of what it took to build a good trailer and then addressed what he knew to be some of the deficiencies so he could make the best trailers. When he first began as a new trailer company his mission was clear: create trailers that exceed expectations by enhancing paint quality, suspension systems, tires, fasteners, winches, jacks, and more. Nearly 20 years later his vision continues to redefine the trailer industry standard today.

Customer-Driven

Phoenix Trailers are built and designed with the customer in mind by using quality components and finishes to ensure each trailer built will provide years of safe and reliable service.

“A boat spends most of its life on a trailer, so why not give it the best?” explains Chip. “Our entire brake and suspension system is designed, engineered and manufactured by one company. A lot of trailer companies will piecemeal parts. They’ll use an actuator from one company, a brake component from another, an axle from another. If the customer has an issue down the road, everybody stands around and points a finger at one another and the customer is the one left hanging out to dry. So one of the things I’ve always been adamant about is the entire brake and suspension system is manufactured by one company.”

Dual Locations

All Phoenix trailers are designed at its headquarters in East Jordan, Mich., with some final assembly and distribution taking place at its facility in Decherd, Tenn. For most owners it would be a challenge to oversee two plants that are located in two different states, but it’s not a problem for the owner. Chip is a licensed pilot and he keeps his plane in a nearby hangar close to the Michigan plant so it’s not unusual for him to start and end the day in Michigan, with a quick trip to Tennessee during the middle of the day. How’s that for hands-on attention to his company?

“Chip the owner has systems in place he personally oversees so we don’t create a lot of issues,” says Randy O’Malia, the national dealership sales manager. “He does know what’s going on with his company and he’s out here immediately to fix an issue, to ask the questions, to make it correct and to reach out to the dealers.”

Dealer-Centered

Similar to the pontoon and deck boat industry, dealers are the lifeblood for Phoenix Trailers and are a top priority for the manufacturer.

“We work directly with dealers; that’s 95 percent of our focus,” explains Randy. “We do have projects with some manufacturers, but dealers remain our number one priority.”

The other projects include working closely with top boat manufacturers in the industry, including pontoon builders such as Avalon and its Waketoon that requires a special trailer design to accommodate the unique hull design.

“We deal with the unique combination of bunks for the different size logs on a Manitou, the elliptical pontoon on the Benningtons, the PTX hulls on the Premiers, and Avalon’s Waketoon,” adds Chip. “One of our advantages as a company is we can adapt.”

The Phoenix Difference

Having a tight tolerance between the hull and trailer is one of the main keys to the overall success at Phoenix Trailers with precision engineering and rigid construction standards.

“We overbuild our trailers. We’re always open to making it better, and we’re always open to innovation,” adds Randy. “We build a lot of trailers for a lot of different situations and applications and we are very tuned in to making things happen the way they need to happen, not the way we would like it to happen.”

Another key factor is the color-matched automotive-grade paint that ensures each painted trailer looks as good going down the road as it does on the water.

“We’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth in the bigger triple pontoons with higher-end features, we’ve done more colors, custom logos, custom wheels and really right on down to custom options,” explains Chip. “Our bunks, along with the strength of our one-piece frame construction and heavy-duty suspension, work together to give you a smooth ride and better handling during transport. And the simple, self-centering design makes loading and launching easy and convenient.”

Details

Phoenix custom bunk painted trailers are available in single, dual and tri-axle models, and range from 13 feet to over 50 feet with carrying capacities of up to 20,000 pounds. Two bunks are standard on single-axle models, four bunks or more on tandem and tri-axle models. Quadruple bunks on most models provide maximum support for the hull, and easy glide-on and glide-off designs make loading and launching easy.

Features include an all-welded tubular A-frame, welded tubular bunk uprights, a precision contoured bunk support system, a 100 percent submersible lighting system, and swing tongue on all models up to 24 feet with a 5,800-pound capacity.

We take a lot of pride in what we do,” concludes Product Manager Thomas Venir, “We have a lot of good people working here.”