Owner/President: Mike Traylor (seated below. Pictured left to right are wife Marianna, son Scott and daughter-in-law Leslie.)
Location: Prairie Grove, Ark.
Company History: Mike started his original wood shavings business in 1976, and eventually he expanded the original business to include a poultry clean out business as well. Traylor’s has always been a family business, with Mike’s wife Marianna running the office. Now, the second generation is involved in running the business, with Mike’s son Scott handling dispatching and logistics, and his daughter-in-law, Leslie, helping Marianna in the office. His two daughters, Kim and Deanna, also find time in their busy schedules to help out when it is needed. Traylor’s has grown from one truck in 1976, when Mike hauled the products himself, to now employing 29 people.
Products and Services: “We provide rice hulls, kiln-dried pine shavings and green shavings — with variations in the mixture if the customer prefers. We offer several delivery options ranging from eight to 12-load semi-trailers, bob truck and bagged shavings. Another division of the company is the clean out services, which serves the four-state area."
How do you stay ahead of the competition?
“Hard work. We sell service and do our best to sell quality products.”
What's in the future for your business?
“We’re growing every year, with more trucks and people. We’ve grown slowly, our goal always to keep debt low. We'd like to continue quality service and look for improved products and technology.”
Do you have a company motto?
“We do what we say we’ll do — if it hurts, it hurts. We’ll fix any problems. Our main goal is to make our customers happy with our product and service.”
By Stephanie Burroughs
