In a historic move, Great Dane unveiled sweeping changes to its complete product line and century-old brand to accompany a new advertising campaign entitled "Evolution." President and Chief Executive Officer, Bill Crown, commented on this series of changes from the company's headquarters in Chicago, Ill.
"The last two years have been filled with tremendous change for us as a nation and as a company," said Mr. Crown. "In addition to a turbulent global economy, our own corporate leadership team weathered an unexpected transition. Instead of allowing circumstances to determine our future, the team at Great Dane accepted these challenges as the perfect opportunity to revolutionize the trucking industry by setting a new benchmark for quality. This is just one part of our long-term commitment to continually raise the industry's standards for products, sales and service."
The changes at Great Dane are far-reaching and actually began with the company's acquisition of Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies in 2010. The investment strategically grew Great Dane's sales platform and reinforced its commitment as a leader in the food service market. It was a synergistic move for both sides that also diversified the corporate profile of Great Dane Trailers.
At the heart of Great Dane's transformation, though, is a completely redesigned core product line. "As a pioneer of our trade, Great Dane has delivered top quality products and --more-- innovation for nearly a century," said Dean Engelage, executive vice president, sales and strategic planning. "The needs of our customers in the trucking industry have evolved over that time just as our capabilities and technologies have. In response to those changing needs, we challenged our engineering and manufacturing groups to not only streamline our products but to incorporate the very latest high tech innovations into our base models."
The result is Great Dane's all-new, best-ever product mix, which includes Everest refrigerated trailers; Champion dry vans; and Freedom flatbeds. Each line consists of three models to meet target markets and specifications.
Everest TL and Everest SS are engineered to satisfy the long-haul truckload reefer market; Everest CL is a high-spec offering for grocery and multi-temp products.
Champion SE's specs are designed for heavy-duty productivity with fleets in mind; Champion CL is a versatile freight van that can be highly-specified to meet various needs, while Champion CP boasts Great Dane's proven composite panel technology.
Freedom SE is a heavy-duty all-steel flatbed trailer with available straight, drop or extendable body styles; The Freedom LT combination steel and aluminum trailer is exceptionally lightweight but built for performance; the versatile and ultra-lightweight Freedom XP flatbed is 1,000 pounds lighter than its combination counterpart.
Significant improvements to base model trailers include Great Dane's all-new EnduroGuard--a reinforced, corrosion-resistant rear frame on dry vans designed for strength; all LED lamps with dual intensity lights; Long Life Light systems; and PunctureGuard as the standard lining on all refrigerated trailers. For a comprehensive list of specifications of Great Dane's all-new, American made product line visit their product pages at www.greatdanetrailers.com.
Great Dane's evolution extends outside the box, with an updated look for the corporate image. The iconic chrome dog and red oval logo received a makeover with the addition of a reflective background and polished chrome rim. All trailers, regardless of model, will now be adorned with a redesigned red wing plate. The modern red oval will garnish the rear doors of refrigerated and dry van trailers in lieu of a parallelogram. The signature hand-written Great Dane font has also been replaced by a sleeker, more contemporary typeface.
"Changes to our corporate logo are subtle enough to rejuvenate its image but maintain brand recognition," said Brandie Fuller, vice president, marketing at Great Dane. "We've updated the oval with modern touches, but are moving back to all red markings on our products to honor the history of the brand, which has been red since 1951."
Great Dane's new trailer lineup and brand will be on public display for the first time at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. March 22 - 24, 2012 in booth #34075.
Great Dane, a manufacturer of dry van, refrigerated and platform trailers, has long been regarded as the industry leader in technology, innovation and quality. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Ill., and has additional corporate offices in Savannah, Ga., with manufacturing plants and a parts distribution center strategically-located throughout the United States. Great Dane's network of company-owned branches and full-line independent dealers and parts-only independent dealers offer distribution points for both trailers and aftermarket parts across North and South America. Great Dane can be accessed online atwww.greatdanetrailers.com.
The company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, acquired in 2010, is the innovator and manufacturer of custom fiberglass, specialized refrigerated truck bodies and trailers that range from eight to 36-ft. in length. With headquarters in Rice Lake, Wis., markets include dairy, meat, frozen food, keg beer, live poultry, vending products, flowers and plants, and ice. Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies can be accessed online at www.johnsontruckbodies.com.
