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On La. Highway 311 in Houma, there’s a store helping businesses complete their work and residents transport their valuables.
For those looking to get out of town as a storm nears South Louisiana, Blanchard’s Trailers Unlimited has a variety of trailers to help haul their most important goods. When the skies are calm but business is booming, local companies rely on Blanchard’s wares to move their equipment.
James Nelton, sales manager at Blanchard’s, has been with the company for 17 years. He said the store does experience an uptick in sales as spaghetti models start pointing storms in the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana, but summer is a busy time for sales either way. Nelton said Blanchard’s receives a lot of attention from lawn care and construction companies who need to bring their equipment to a variety of places within a day.
“[Business] picks up in the summertime regardless a little bit,” Nelton said. “Of course, we have been slower the last couple years, but we do see a spike in sales when we have something near, for instance Katrina or Gustav or something like that. It does pick up, but July is usually a busy month anyway.”
Trailers Unlimited became its own entity about four years ago, when the owners of local staple Blanchard’s Refrigeration broke out the trailer business to be its own entity separate from the refrigeration and air conditioning side. Nelton said the beginning and ends of summer get busy with families renting trailers to help sons and daughters move as leases end and school years start anew. Residents will also buy trailers to bring their motorcycles across the country for biking events, according to Nelton. Trailers Unlimited has a variety of trailers – from utility to cargo to dump trailers – available for both sale and rent for any job or move.
“Cargo trailers, of course with the rain we get, tend to be a little more popular, lawn care and construction-wise. We do sell a bunch of cargos for residential for like motorcycles, but a majority of people buy regular utility,” Nelton said.
An impending storm is not fun for any locals involved, but the addition of a trailer gives families a chance to bring larger valuables without fear of leaving them behind to the fates and waters. While business has slowed down in the last few years as the oil glut has dragged down the entire Bayou Region economy, Trailers Unlimited is still going strong on 311. Nelton said the trailer business has stayed relatively stable over his time in sales, with the same kinds of trailers being popular throughout. He credited the longevity of both Trailers Unlimited and Blanchard’s overall to having local owners who both know the region and are willing to try new things, such as when the company dabbled in camper and RV rentals. While not every risk is a resounding success, it is that kind of adaptability and forward-thinking that puts the Blanchard’s businesses in good positions, according to Nelton.
“Good employees, good decisions but not being scared to take chances,” Nelton said. •
