Custom Built Ag Industries Ltd. (now Trailtech Inc.) was founded on Keith Brown’s farm near Bateman, Saskatchewan in 1986. Consisting of a 1500 sq. ft. converted barn, the operation’s original product was a combine header transport, built for self-use. Exhibiting at the Western Canada Farm Progress Show that summer lead to several subsequent orders for transports. In response to customer demand, swather transports and flat deck trailers were soon added to product selection. Marketing efforts to Agricultural Implement Dealers resulted in repeatable orders for transports and trailers. In 1988, Trailtech relocated from the farm location to a newly constructed, 8000 sq. ft. facility in Gravelbourg, SK. The operations were expanded again in 1994, and in 1997 , bringing total square footage to 33,500 sq. ft. Along the way, Trailtech Inc. acquired the assets of two trailer manufacturers adding combine transports and high-clearance sprayer transports to its mix. At January, 2004 plant size exceeds 58,000 square ft. including a three part paint process with the 2003 building and reserve capacity for new ventures. Trailtech currently employs over 80 people. It is now one of the largest commercial and light industrial flatdeck trailer manufacturers in Western Canada. It was awarded two Abex awards; one in 1998 for Community Involvement and one in 2002 for Innovative Work Systems. It was one of the first employers in Saskatchewan to initiate an immigration plan to meet the acute labour shortage in the western provinces.
