For most of his life, Abe Krahn had repaired farm tractors and equipment in upstate New York in the small town of Fayette. In 2001, struggling agriculture prices caused several of his largest accounts to sell out and he realized that a change in his career might be in order. The following year, on a family road trip, he discovered PJ Trailers through a friend who was employed there. PJ Trailers, the friend said, was in search of dealers in the east – maybe Abe should consider giving it a try. Upon returning home, he applied for necessary licensing and in July of 2002, Fayette Trailer Sales was born. His son Wendall, 18 at the time, had spent all his life working alongside his dad – before and after school, and on the weekends, and so naturally, he partnered with his dad in launching the new venture. Even though they had little money and neither one of them had prior sales experience, along a back road in rural Seneca County New York, the new business gained traction. From dawn to dusk, Abe and Wendall assembled, repaired, and sold trailers. PJ Trailers were new to the east coast and customers were very impressed with their quality and pricing. Combined with Abe and Wendall’s growing knowledge, customer-first attitude, attention to detail, and focus on doing the right thing, the new dealership thrived. In early 2004, just a year and a half after opening, the Krahn family moved to McAlisterville, in central Pennsylvania – again a rural setting, and ironically, into Fayette township, allowing them to continue to operate under the ‘Fayette Trailers LLC’ name.

Since that time, Fayette Trailers LLC has grown dramatically; from a father-son team of 2, to a team of over 40 employees operating 3 retail locations across PA that serves a multi-state radius. Each location offers a sales area, a service area, and one of the best parts departments in the trailer industry. Fayette Trailers LLC location in northern PA (Athens; 30 miles from Elmira NY) opened in 2013, and Fayette Trailers LLC in western PA (Brownsville; 30 miles from Pittsburgh PA) opened in 2019.

As demand and locations grew, logistics became increasingly difficult. So in 2014, Fayette Transport was formed as an independent shipping company to handle all of Fayette Trailers LLC shipping needs. This allowed for more reliable delivery of trailers, both to Fayette from PJ Manufacturing, and to customers who desired a delivery service for their purchase. Today, Fayette Transport has delivered trailers all up and down the eastern coast of the USA, to customers as far away as Florida and Maine.

Truck bodies were added to the product line-up in 2015 and proved to be a popular addition to the other products offered by Fayette Trailers LLC. So, in 2017, after several years of growth, Fayette Truck Bodies was formed and separated from Fayette Trailers LLC.

As the demand by customers for high quality customized products increased, the Fayette family grew even further with the creation of Fayette Manufacturing in 2019. With this addition, over 12,000 square feet of manufacturing space and heavy-duty equipment became available which provides Fayette Trailers LLC with the opportunity to fulfill specialized demand for high quality customized products.

In early 2019, to provide a more cohesive management experience among the brands, Fayette Industries was created as a parent company of Fayette Trailers LLC, Fayette Transport LLC, Fayette Truck Bodies LLC, Fayette Manufacturing LLC, and Fayette Real Estate Holdings LLC. Each company operates as its own entity, with Wendall Krahn now heading up the organization as CEO, Abe Krahn as Corporate Officer, and Joshua Martin, the second employee hired, as Director of Operations.

With employee benefit packages such as 401K with company match, employer-paid health insurance and a fast-paced, friendly working environment, Fayette Industries has become a popular place to work over the past years and now employs some of the most knowledgeable and experienced employees within the industry. Each employee is highly valued and the focus on Excellence has only grown stronger over the years.

When you visit a Fayette location, you’ll notice the difference. The same focus on customer service, attention to detail, and the value of knowledge and doing the right thing that Abe and Wendall started with is still alive and well today and continues to set us apart from the competition. The excitement about the future and the positive impact on our customers and employees’ lives is infectious here at Fayette Industries! Come visit us and see for yourself.