Clubhouse Trailer Company Marches Forward

Clubhouse Trailer Company, based in Edmond, Oklahoma, manufactures safe, efficient, and innovative transportation for marching band equipment. Its customizable product line is designed to meet the unique needs, size, and budget of any program. The company was founded in 2010 by Jeff Hadley and Drew Taylor, both thinking there had to be a better way to safely and efficiently transport the varied and complex needs of marching bands. With about 30 employees Clubhouse produces one of Oklahoma’s most visually appealing products.

Drew Taylor operated a thriving enterprise with exponentially growing sales and success. As vice president of operations he had developed a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and efficiency throughout the company. However, as things moved more and more quickly, Taylor needed assistance to help handle that rapid growth and secure additional manpower.

For help and advice Taylor turned to Kevin Barber, a manufacturing extension agent with the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, part of the MEP National Network™. Barber had worked with Clubhouse from their launch and enjoyed a solid relationship with Taylor and other company leaders.

Barber met with Clubhouse’s leadership team and mapped out a strategy that would address the most pressing bottlenecks while laying the foundation for managed growth. To help provide needed manpower, Barber worked with the firm to screen and hire “second chance” workers who were recently released from incarceration. That initiative was an immediate success and helped provide reliable workforce support.

Barber worked to make Clubhouse’s complex supply chain more efficient and then helped link the firm to local suppliers, which reduced production time and improved parts availability. Barber assisted Clubhouse with the details of their PPP application, which company leaders say was instrumental in keeping the business operational during the 2020 pandemic. New health safety protocols were put in place, using best practices developed by the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance.

Moving forward, Barber is assisting with additional business-to-business ventures while supporting new product development through innovation services provided by the Manufacturing Alliance and state partners.