Venture’s Drive to Innovate Delivers for Dealers

At Venture Trailers, innovation does not mean pursuing shiny objects or holding a brainstorming session once every few years. It’s a daily practice.

“If there’s one thing Matt and I are always doing,” says Stephanie Van Slyke, CEO of Venture Trailers, “it’s looking around and asking, ‘How can we make this better?’ Doesn’t matter if it’s the production line, shipping, or the way we communicate with dealers – every part of the business is fair game.”

That mindset, embedded deep in the culture since the company’s founding in 1988, has helped Venture evolve from a small family operation into one of the nation’s premier boat trailer manufacturers. But for Stephanie, it’s not about bragging rights or checking boxes. It’s about consistency, quality, and dealer experience.

“The dealer might not see what’s happening behind the scenes,” she says, “but they feel it. They feel it when the trailer shows up built right. When the paperwork is seamless. When the answers come fast.”
line.

Innovation Behind the Curtain

Much of Venture’s innovation happens where most people will never see it: in production, logistics, and internal systems.

Take, for example, the production floor. Historically, much of the trailer assembly process relied on what Stephanie calls “tribal knowledge.” Experienced team members passing down processes person to person. But as the workforce has changed and grown, so has the need for more plug-and-play systems.

“We’ve invested heavily in machinery to bring more consistency to our product,” she explains. “Automated saws, CNC machines, a new drill line. It’s not about replacing people, it’s about making their work better. And in turn, the quality of our trailers improves. Bends are cleaner. Holes are more precise. The final product is just… tighter.”

That precision pays off for dealers. Fewer issues. Fewer returns. Fewer customer complaints. “They don’t see the drill line, but they see the outcome,” Stephanie says.

Small Fixes. Big Impact.

Sometimes, innovation isn’t flashy. It’s just smart.

During COVID, when demand skyrocketed and timelines were stretched, Venture created automated backorder reports so dealers could better plan around delivery schedules. That one change born out of necessity has become a standard part of how Venture communicates with its network.

The same goes for internal tools. When Stephanie noticed her team was bogged down in paper files and back-and-forth emails, she pushed hard to digitize records. “In 2020, I made the call to scan everything and centralize documentation in our CRM system. It took three years. People hated me for it,” she laughs. “But now, when a dealer calls, our account reps can see the full picture of that order. The sales invoice, delivery paperwork, everything is on one screen. And that changes the whole experience.”

Venture’s recent brand refresh and website redesign is the most public-facing sign of this commitment to innovation. The new ecommerce platform offers more than 1,000 SKUs, better search functionality, and detailed product info, all designed to support dealers and end users alike.

“This wasn’t about looking cooler,” Stephanie says. “It was about making life easier for the people who sell and service our trailers.”

Dealers now have a clean, mobile-friendly platform they can trust. And that trust trickles down to customers because when someone walks into a dealership already familiar with the Venture name and
product line, the sale gets easier.

But the refresh didn’t stop at the website. Venture is also preparing to launch a dealer portal later this year, allowing dealers to log in, check order history, pay invoices, and get the information they need without having to pick up the phone.

“Nothing’s broken,” Stephanie says. “But that doesn’t mean it’s the best it can be. Just because it works doesn’t mean it can’t be better.”

The Human Side of Innovation

It’s not just tech or tools. Venture’s innovation is powered by their people.

Stephanie lights up when talking about her team, veterans and new hires alike,who challenge assumptions, bring fresh ideas, and push the company forward.

“I’ll be honest. When I came into this business at 21, my dad used to say, ‘You need young people. They bring new ideas.’ And he was right. Back then, Matt and I were the youth. Now we’re the old people,” she laughs. “But we keep that mindset. We listen. We learn. And we adapt.”

That open-door approach is core to Venture’s success. Whether it’s an engineer finding a way to simplify four parts into one, or a remote employee solving a problem in minutes that would have taken hours, everyone is empowered to make things better.

“We teach them. They teach us. And when people feel supported, they do their best work. That energy flows right to our dealers.”

Why It All Matters

At the end of the day, a trailer is a trailer. But the experience of working with Venture? That’s different.

Dealers don’t always know that a CNC machine made a cleaner cut, or that a new system let an account rep answer a question faster. But they feel it in the consistency. In the quality. In the ease of doing business.

“Innovation isn’t something we schedule. It’s just how we think,” Stephanie says. “We never want to be the company stuck in the past. Because once you stop improving, you start falling behind.”

That’s why, whether it’s automating paperwork, investing in new equipment, or learning from a Gen Z team member with a better way to streamline a process, Venture Trailers will keep evolving.

And dealers? They’ll keep benefiting.