Source: Bret Lanz, 785-532-7044, blanz@amisuccess.com
News tip: Jewell, Kan.
Website: http://www.amisuccess.com
News release prepared by: Amanda Weishaar, 785-532-7044
Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012
In the long haul: Advanced Manufacturing Institute design and marketing efforts help Jewell trucking company expand
MANHATTAN -- A Jewell trucking company is on the road to success with the help of Kansas State University's Advanced Manufacturing Institute.
Father and son business partners LeRoy and Eric Bourbon used the Advanced Manufacturing Institute's design and marketing expertise to improve the efficiency of their existing business, Bourbon Trucking, and to develop their new business, Bourbon Trailers.
Currently Bourbon Trucking and Trailers specializes in transporting bulk commodity goods and a wide range of equipment and materials, as well as offering a full service repair division and a new pup trailer manufacturing company.
Bourbon Pup Trailers maximize the amount of material that can be transported in a single trip, which increases profits. The more compact size of the pup trailers, when compared to traditional super cube or straight trailers, enhances maneuverability and decreases wear and tear on roadways because the wheels do not slide when turning corners. Bourbon Pups also offer configuration flexibility, air-ride suspension and in-field weight estimates.
"Bourbon has done an excellent job of identifying a niche opportunity in the trucking market," said Bret Lanz, marketing and development manager at the Advanced Manufacturing Institute. "The company is continuing to grow this opportunity by vertically expanding into the manufacturing of the trailers."
The Advanced Manufacturing Institute offered a variety of services to enhance the new trailer manufacturing company, including creating computer-aided design models and production drawings of the trailers and using finite element analysis to validate the optimal hopper design. In addition, the institute helped create marketing materials, developed pricing models, identified potential dealers and built a company website that Bourbon employees can edit and maintain.
"We've been really happy with how AMI has helped us out and we look forward to working with them in the future," said LeRoy Bourbon, founder and co-owner of Bourbon Trucking and Trailers. "As our company grows, we hope to expand our line of trailers and continue our partnership."
For more information about Bourbon Trucking and Trailers please visit http://www.bourbontrailers.com.
The Advanced Manufacturing Institute is a part of the Kansas State University College of Engineering, a Kansas Department of Commerce Center of Excellence and an Economic Development Administration University Center that provides engineering and business services. More information about the institute is available online at http://www.amisuccess.com.
