Built to Scale: Accelerating Production at Dorsey Trailer

By switching to Sherwin‑Williams Duraspar® IP coatings and expert support, Dorsey Trailer eliminated finishing bottlenecks, increased production capacity, and unlocked scalable growth without compromising quality.

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Dorsey Trailer, one of the fastest-growing trailer manufacturers in the U.S., has built its reputation on durability and quality for more than a century. But as demand accelerated, their finishing process struggled to keep pace.

Challenges included:

Rising demand drove the need to scale production quickly
Slow finishing processes limited throughput
Long custom color turnaround times delayed production and delivery
Limited flexibility constrained custom orders
Limited supplier support made improving workflow challenging

The Solution

A Smarter Coating System Backed by Hands-on Support

Sherwin-Williams helped Dorsey improve coating performance and operational efficiency with solutions that combined advanced coating technology with on-the-ground expertise:

Duraspar® IP High Speed Epoxy Primer and Topcoat for improved corrosion resistance and application efficiency
Ongoing technical support, including regular on-site audits to continually optimize processes
Hands-on training to streamline workflows and improve consistency
Local facility capabilities to accelerate custom color matching for low-volume orders

The Results

Faster Throughput, Lower Costs and Scalable Growth

The impact delivered measurable improvements across production, cost and quality:

Finishing time reduced by 15-30 minutes per trailer, increasing throughput
Paint usage reduced by 1-1.5 gallons per trailer, cutting material costs
Turnaround on custom colors reduced by up to 1.5 weeks, accelerating lead times and customer response
First-pass yield coverage improved, minimizing rework and improving finishing quality

We’re unlimited on growth now that we have Sherwin-Williams as a partner.

President, Dorsey Trailer