Mike Flynn, Felling Trailers' Northeastern regional sales manager, bid farewell to life as a trailer sales rep after 22 years with the company. He decided to retire from the "iron business" in January of 2023.
A relationship that started in late 1999 when Flynn met with Merle Felling (founder and COB of Felling Trailers), having their first conversations on Flynn representing the Felling Trailers brand in the Northeast. At that time, Felling was looking to expand their dealer distribution network beyond the Upper Midwest into the Northeast.
In 2000, Flynn signed on with Felling Trailers as an independent trailer sales rep for the Northeast region covering Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, D.C. and Delaware.
No stranger to the iron business, when Flynn was 13, his father started his own short-line distribution company after 13 years of representing John Deere overseas.
"I got involved with his business from the ground up working weekends, and as I got older, I became more involved with every aspect of the business itself," said Flynn.
They sold a wide variety of equipment: ag, light industrial equipment (including equipment trailers), domestic and foreign importing equipment such as Belarus tractors, and tillage equipment from Germany and Italy.
Flynn learned every facet of the business, from equipment assembly and delivery to sales and dealer training on their extensive line of products. In 1990, he left the family business to be an independent rep on his own.
"I repped for Harley Rock Rakes along with Dynaweld trailers for nine years until the company was sold after the owner passed in a tragic plane crash. One of my dealers had heard of Felling Trailers and suggested I check them out," said Flynn.
He also represented Liddell Trailers for a period of nine years, selling their heavy haul products that were higher capacity than what Felling was manufacturing at the time. Flynn represented Liddell until 1999, when the owner passed, and the company was sold. While representing Felling, Flynn also took on Rogers from 2007 to 2021 to supplement the heavy haul trailers that Liddell had been making.
Throughout his time with Felling Trailers, Flynn grew the company's dealer base and brand awareness from being "the new kid on the block," as he put it, to a well-recognized leader in the trailer manufacturing space with more than 50 dealers throughout the northeast region.
"Mike Flynn had started with Felling Trailers as an independent trailer sales rep back in 2000 and was the driving force in establishing the Felling brand in the Northeastern U.S. We wish him the best in his retirement," said Pat Jennissen, VP of sales and marketing, Felling Trailers.
"I never thought of my career as work. I had a passion for the challenges of marketing new quality products, meeting new people, and covering the beautiful Northeast," said Flynn.
Never slowing down, Flynn continued establishing new dealers and selling trailers until he retired. Joining the team for one more hoorah, he made his final appearance with the Felling Sales team at the 2023 ConExpo-Con/AGG show in Las Vegas this past March. Many of Felling's Northeastern dealers that Flynn had established over the years stopped to visit and wish him well.
"Mike has been instrumental in the development of the dealer network in the Northeast U.S. In addition to being a long-time colleague, he's been a great friend and a mentor to me. I learned a tremendous amount of invaluable information from him, for which I'm extremely grateful. Mike, you've worked hard your entire life, and now it's time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Congratulations on your retirement," said Nathan Uphus, sales manager, Felling Trailers.
Since retiring, Flynn and his wife, Wendy, have relocated from their home in Fayetteville, N.Y., to their vacation home in Naples, Fla., to enjoy the golf course life.
"We plan on 'over-recreating,' as we call it, with all that we have here for amenities. We want to spend more time with our two sons, their families, and our grandson, as well as traveling the remainder of the world we haven't seen yet while visiting friends and family along the way."
For more information, visit www.felling.com.
Joining the team for one more hoorah, Mike Flynn made his final appearance with the Felling Sales team at the 2023 ConExpo-Con/AGG show in Las Vegas this past March.
This story also appears on Truck and Trailer Guide.
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