Since our founding in 1982, we’ve sought to help each of our partners as we would our own family. We know we’ll be seeing people again and again over the life of your truck, tank, trailer, or fleet. That’s what gets us going every morning, the knowledge that we help people realize their full potential.
North American Trailer was founded by Don Balsimo in Blaine, MN. In 1985 Don brought Bruce Barnhart in as an official partner. The duo brought on Stoughton Trailers and the dry-freight business began. In 1989 the company moved to South St. Paul upstairs from Thompson Motor and added more personnel and Heil Tank Trailers. In 1991, the repair shop opened in Inver Grove Heights and a small parts department formed to take care of the needs of the repair shop. 1991 proved to be a busy year with the addition of Fontaine Trailers and had a record year of sales, which allowed for the company to purchase a location on Concord Boulevard in Inver Grove Heights to start a tank repair shop. With their service and parts shop in place, the company quickly earned a solid reputation for reliability.
In 2008, De
an Dally purchased North American Trailer and soon added a building to support a burgeoning customer base and its service needs. In 2009, North American Trailer co-branded with Blaine Brothers and added a new tank shop at the Cloquet facility. In 2012 they opened a tank shop in Stanley, ND, marking our first location outside of Minnesota. A state-of-the-industry facility was built in 2016 in Inver Grove Heights and features 30 repair bays equipped with all the latest diagnostic equipment allow us to take care of scheduled and emergency maintenance for more of our partners. You’ll find expert technicians and premium parts here along with knowledgeable sales associates who thrive on the growth of their customers. The new brick-and-mortar facility only further strengthened the brother’s business capabilities, and customer satisfaction rates.
North American Trailer continues to expand, in 2020, North American Trailer co-branded with Blaine Brothers and adds a tank shop at the new Clearwater facility. In September 2021, North American Trailer opened another new facility in western Wisconsin, 10 miles outside of Eau Claire with more expanded trailer tanker service.
North American Trailer continues to be a family run business four decades later and is part of the Blaine Brothers Family of Companies which is made up of four separate business entities with nine locations across three states. It employs more than 350 people and offers nearly every product and service required in the commercial trucking industry. The companies seek good people who fit our strong family values and business model of problem solving and quality service.
“40 years would not be possible wit
hout the dedication of our employees, vendors and customer partnerships,” Dally says. “North American Trailer staff is engaged and invested in the success of their customers, and it is that commitment that has allowed the company to evolve into the multifaceted service provider it is today!”
North American Trailer has locations in Inver Grove Heights MN, Cloquet MN, Clearwater, MN, Stanley ND and the newest addition, Chippewa Falls, WI. Together the facilities have a complete offering of medium and heavy-duty truck, trailer and tanker parts, as well as 24/7 emergency service in-shop, mobile, and on-site service, customized fleet maintenance, and new and used trailer sales. They offer board-certified “R” stamp tank repair facilities. They also have DOT registered inspectors to take care of all cargo tank testing, along with DOT testing for all your semi-truck & trailer equipment.
For more than 40 years, we’ve prided ourselves on providing the best selection of parts & service through a customer service team utterly devoted to your total satisfaction and knowledgeable sales associates who thrive on the growth of their customers. We focus on continuous improvement. Whether it’s seeking out ne
w brands, building additional locations or offering innovations like online ordering, we are devoted to bettering ourselves to help others keep rolling at their best.