John Thomas Shipman, owner and founder of Sundowner Trailers started his business more than 40 years ago. This family-owned manufacturing company based in Coleman, Oklahoma specializes in manufacturing customized and specialized trailers, ranging from $5,000 to $200,000. For many years Mr. Shipman focused on product sales, overseeing the regionalized sales teams and building personal relationships with over 100 dealerships building the company from zero to annual sales of 85 million. Today, as the sole owner, he oversees the over 300 employees. Although the company started with a focus on livestock and horse trailers the product portfolio now ranges from RVs to race car trailers, toy haulers, and many different custom commercial cargo trailers. Through the decades he has seen many competitors come and go but credits his decades long stability to relentless reinvention of products and design, strategic pivots in response to external pressures, and strong understanding and focus on the customer needs.

Mr. Shipman resides on a ranch in Pottsboro, Texas with his wife. He enjoys living close to the lake, his longhorn cattle, traveling, and listening to live music.