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Present Day

Doepker Industries Doepker Industries Ltd. is one of the leading manufacturers of highway trailers in western Canada. The company has experienced growth in production, sales, and employees, and is now producing at the rate of over 1000 units per year from the main plant in Annaheim and the branch plant in Moose Jaw. Although the original 6 brothers no longer manage the company, the family tradition continues with 3 Doepker cousins now holding management positions. Dave Doepker is the Vice President of Marketing, Lionel Doepker is the President and CEO, and Randy Doepker is the Vice President of Production. One non-family member, Cliff Hagerty, joined the company as the Vice President of Finance.

Because Doepker's first grain trailer was built in 1972, 1997 marks the 25th anniversary of production of the trailers. At present, the grain trailer industry is about 50% of Doepker Industries' business, and commercial flat-decks are about 30-40%. The logging trailers range from 10-20%. Doepker's marketing strategy has been to stay in Canada and expand into different market segments, rather than expanding into different territories.

Ever since the original brothers began the company, great importance has been placed on building a quality product. In 1992, Doepker Industries became the first trailer manufacturer in Canada to have its Quality Assurance Program registered to the ISP 9002 standard. The program's goal is to give customers quality products in a short amount of time and to continue improving their products. Yearly audits by the registering body ensure this standard is maintained. In 1989, Doepker Industries won the "Saskatchewan Business of the Year" award from the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce and also received the "Marketing Award" at the 1989 ABEX Awards.

Presently, Doepker Industries operates out of 87,000 square feet of production space, including the plant in Moose Jaw. The plants have operated with up to 325 personnel, modern equipment, a state-of-the-industry paint department, and computer assisted drafting and design to handle the current product lines. On the average, 6.5 trailers are built each day and are moved out to buyers or dealers across Canada.

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