When the announcers said the winners came “all the way from ... ,” Megan and Ken Swank knew that White Spruce Trailer Sales had won the North American Trailer Dealers Association’s Dealer of the Year award.
The Swanks, owners of White Spruce Trailer Sales in North Pole, said it was an honor to receive the award during the Technical and Training Expo.
“It’s for our employees. Those guys have worked so hard for this,” Ken said.
In 2023, White Spruce Trailer Sales also earned Dealer of the Year from TYM Tractors and was named a Top Tier Dealer by Midsota.
White Spruce is a full-service trailer dealership that sells “all things trailers.” It operates similarly to a car dealership, Megan explained, offering parts, service, trailer rentals, and new and used trailer sales.
From hauling off-road vehicles like ATVs and snowmachines to cars and construction materials, White Spruce stocks nearly every kind of trailer — except semis.
“We like to think that other than semi-trailers, we keep Alaska moving,” Ken said. “If it needs to go on the road, that’s where we come into play.”
Unique Challenges
in Alaska
White Spruce Trailer Sales faces challenges specific to doing business in Alaska.
“We are not the norm, and we always have to think outside the box to make it work,” Megan said.
Shipping costs are a major hurdle. “When our peers in the industry ask about our freight costs, it usually takes them five minutes to pick their jaws up off the floor,” Ken said. “The shipping is absolutely insane.”
Weather also adds complexity. In the Lower 48, trailers often arrive fully assembled. In Alaska, White Spruce employees must assemble them on-site — sometimes in extreme conditions.
“Unloading a load of steel trailers at negative 35 degrees in the dark is not the funnest thing to do,” Ken said. If a manufacturer forgets to include tires, the dealership must wait for the next shipment to complete the trailer.
“Staying flexible is something we’ve learned, so we can adapt to whatever comes our way,” Megan added.
Despite the challenges, the Swanks have learned how to succeed and share that knowledge with their industry peers.
“It’s not easy. We don’t do it because it’s easy — we do it because we love it,” Megan said.
Evolving Industry
The trailer industry is always evolving, from new designs to emerging technologies.
“Every day, we’re constantly learning something new,” Megan said.
She noted that the trailer industry used to operate like the “Wild West,” with few regulations.
Today, the Swanks are active advocates for standardizing the industry. Megan serves on the Dexter Advisory Council, mentors women in the trailer industry, and participates in speaking engagements. Ken sits on the NADTA Dealer Council and serves on a manufacturer board.
They’re pushing for clearer definitions of what qualifies as a dealership, standardized repair timelines, and required certifications for trailer mechanics.
Growing a Business and a Team
Megan and Ken moved to Interior Alaska in 2009 and purchased White Spruce Trailer Sales from Leslie and Jerry Gustafson in 2023. Megan serves as CEO, CFO and president; Ken is vice president.
Ken, who grew up on a small farm in Ohio, has always loved the outdoors. “I think he fell in love with Alaska before we even got here,” Megan said.
Megan has a degree in accounting and economics and a background in banking. She didn’t even know what a trailer was when she applied for a bookkeeper position in 2009. She interviewed the day after arriving in Alaska and started the next day. In January 2013, she became a part-owner of the business.
At the time, White Spruce had eight employees across two locations. Today, the Swanks lead a team of 28 employees at four locations across the state.
Ken, a former Joint Terminal Attack Controller in the Air Force stationed at Fort Wainwright, began working part-time at White Spruce after retiring as a technical sergeant in 2014. He handled equipment assembly and repairs and came on full time in 2018 to open the Wasilla store.
“It’s an industry that’s unlike anything else,” Ken said.
Building a
Positive Culture
Since taking over, the Swanks have prioritized building a strong internal culture.
“We have a set of fundamentals that we try to live by with one another,” Megan said.
The company’s 28 “Fundamentals to Success” emphasize maintaining a positive attitude, doing the right thing, practicing servant leadership, taking responsibility, applying creativity, asking questions, listening, and creating win-win solutions.
“These fundamentals help employees build off each other’s strengths and support one another’s weaknesses,” Megan said.
The Swanks also created a “fun fund,” which gives each location a set amount of unrestricted funds to spend however they choose.
“It brings the team a lot closer together,” Ken said. “It goes from employees to family at that point, and that’s really important to us.”
Employees have used the fund for pizza parties, bowling nights, and even buying a new grill for the office.
Each year, the company sets a sales goal. If the team meets it, the Swanks take all employees and their families on a trip as a thank-you.
“That’s our way of giving back to employees. Ultimately, they’re the reason we got this award,” Megan said.
As the business grew, the Swanks moved away from the “jack of all trades” model and began encouraging employees to specialize.
“We realized not everybody should wear every hat,” Megan said.
In 2024, they opened a fourth location in Soldotna. While they aren’t currently looking to expand to more locations, they are continuing to grow their inventory. White Spruce recently began selling tractors and snowblowers.
“We’re at a point in our careers where we love what we do,” Megan said.
Ken added, “We want to employ more Alaskans and keep everything in Alaska as much as we can. It’s all about the community for us.”
The Swanks also have two children: 13-year-old Kalia and 11-year-old Katie.
