Huron County Horse Trailers: Summer Company Success Story

Huron County Horse Trailers is owned and operated by 18-year-old Claire Mitchell and is located outside of Walton. Mitchell purchases and restores pre-loved horse trailers and refurbishes them for resale, making horse transportation safe and affordable for members of the local equestrian community.

“I started the business as a winter project,” said Mitchell. “As a student, it’s hard to afford the luxuries that the equestrian world requires, so I purchased a used trailer from a friend. My dad helped me and we spent some time renovating the trailer over the Christmas Break. I learned a lot and made a bit of money from the project that helped me pay for school.”

With her proven business idea in hand, Mitchell applied for The Summer Company program with Huron County Economic Development and was accepted. “The experience of being in The Summer Company was very positive and encouraging. Everyone was committed to helping you succeed on your entrepreneurial journey,” remarks Mitchell.

Huron County Horse Trailers

“The program gave me all the tools I needed, from marketing, to cash flow, to getting my master business licence. Everyone was super helpful and they were always available to lend a hand or offer some advice and answer my questions,” said Mitchell.

Mitchell enjoyed the process of launching her business and really loved learning new skills. “Without the training from The Summer Company, I would have had a much harder time marketing my business and connecting with customers. I would recommend this program to anyone thinking about starting a summer business. The amount of support and guidance is amazing and it was so much easier than if I was trying to start my business on my own,” mentioned Mitchell.

When asked what her favourite part of owning her own business was Mitchell expressed her enthusiasm for sales. “That is the best part, you get to see all of your hard work pay off and it motivates you to want to do more. I had a lot of customers encourage me to keep doing this work because it is a service that is extremely helpful, especially to young people. I really appreciate my customers and enjoyed interacting with them. It’s a tight-knit community of people in the equestrian community in this area.”

Mitchell spent the summer renovating pre-loved horse trailers from in and around Southern Ontario and learned a great deal from the experience. This fall the young entrepreneur is heading back to school at the University of Guelph for her second year studying Animal Biology. She hopes to continue the business again next summer.

Do you know a young person interested in starting their own business next summer? Click here for more information from Huron County Economic Development’s Summer Company Program.

Huron County Horse Trailers

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57 Napier Street,
Goderich, ON
N7A 1W2
Canada

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