OUR STORY

We’re more than a trailer dealer — we’re your partners in hauling, offering expert guidance and ongoing support every step of the way.

THE MISSION

Our mission is to provide reliable, high-quality trailers backed by expert knowledge and exceptional customer support, ensuring every customer finds the right solution with confidence and peace of mind.

MEET THE TEAM

The Western States Trailer Story

 

The Early Roots: 1950s in the Bitterroot Valley

The Gardner family’s entrepreneurial spirit stretches back nearly three generations in western Montana. In the 1950s, Morris and Arthella Gardner established Gardner’s Auction Service in the Bitterroot Valley. Their auctions became more than just sales events—they were gatherings where neighbors came together, trust was built, and relationships mattered as much as the final bid. Morris was known as a skilled auctioneer, and Arthella stood by his side as the steady hand that helped keep the business running smoothly. Together, they created a people-first enterprise built on fairness and integrity. That foundation set the tone for everything that followed in the Gardner family.

Kevin’s Era: Gardner’s Auction Service in Missoula

In the 1970s, their son Kevin took the entrepreneurial torch forward. After attending auction school, Kevin moved the business to Missoula, where Gardner’s Auction Service grew into a regional name. His wife, Lynda, balanced her own work as a dental assistant while also helping Kevin with the family business. Kevin’s approach was never just about calling bids or moving equipment. His reputation was built on fairness, doing right by both buyer and seller, and treating people with respect. These values would shape the way his youngest son, Landon, viewed business.

Landon’s Early Years

Born in 1985, Landon grew up in Missoula with his two older brothers. As a youngster Landon spent summers and weekends around the auctions both on-site and off-site, picking up signs, helping with mailers, and watching firsthand how trust and relationships were built. He vividly remembers the sheer volume of people who came to every auction and understood that if the business wasn’t operating with absolute integrity, it wouldn’t have succeeded. Those early lessons left their mark: the importance of showing up, the value of relationships, and the pride that comes with standing behind your work.

A Detour Into Skiing and Discipline

By his mid-teens, Landon’s attention had shifted almost entirely to competitive freestyle mogul skiing. In 2004, right after graduating high school, he and his friend Ryan moved to Park City, Utah, the epicenter of mogul skiing in the U.S. and home to the U.S. Ski Team. To make that move possible, Ryan’s parents emancipated him to Landon, who became his legal guardian—a responsibility that demanded maturity beyond his years.

The move paid off. Landon’s dedication earned him a spot on the U.S. Ski Team, and over the next eight years, he was lucky enough to travel and compete across the globe. His skiing career took him all over the United States, as well as Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, and even South America. It was the opportunity of a lifetime—one he doesn’t take for granted. Those years instilled resilience, discipline, and the ability to perform under pressure. They taught him how to commit fully, push through setbacks, and chase excellence. These same qualities would later define his leadership in business, as he learned to see new challenges not as obstacles, but as a “new mountain” to conquer.

Coming Home and Returning to Business

By the early 2010s, Landon’s competitive skiing career wound down. Back in Montana, he finished his Management Information Systems degree at the University of Montana. He also spent time working at Submittable, a local tech startup, where he gained experience in systems, operations, software sales and the pace of entrepreneurial growth.

Meanwhile, change was happening at home. Kevin sold Gardner’s Auction Service, closing a family chapter that had spanned decades. Another family venture—Western States Trailer—had been operating quietly in the background. With auctions no longer in the picture, Landon shifted his focus to Western States.

Western States Trailer

From 2013 through 2021, Landon ran Western States Trailer largely on his own. He opened the doors in the morning, closed them at night, sold trailers during the day, and handled the paperwork after hours. When he first took over, the business was already on a great footing with sound practices and a dedication to taking care of the customer. Landon’s immediate priority was to take that strong foundation and grow it. It was nearly a decade of relentless effort, and he continued to build a reputation for fairness, honesty, and taking care of every customer. In 2021, Landon formally became the owner and operator of Western States Trailer.

Family, Entrepreneurship, and New Ventures

In 2015, Landon married Grace, a former Division I soccer goalkeeper for the University of Montana who still holds the record for most minutes played. Today, Grace is the Associate Dean at Missoula College with a Doctorate in Higher Education. Like Landon, her life has been shaped by discipline, leadership, and achievement.

Together, they welcomed their first child in 2018. That same year, Landon launched the Jewel Basin Yurt, an off-grid, backcountry rental business near Kalispell and Bigfork. The venture blended his love for Montana’s outdoors with hospitality and customer service. Jewel Basin Yurt started the same winter as his first child Sawyer was born, intertwining fatherhood and entrepreneurship. In 2020, their second child, Hazel was born, further shaping the balance between family and business.

Meanwhile, Landon’s brothers pursued their own entrepreneurial paths. Chris became a timber faller in the logging industry, while Adam, the oldest, who began as a custom log home builder then moved into general contracting. Across generations, the Gardner family has remained tied together by hard work, independence, and resilience.

Growth with Purpose: Western States in the 2020s

Western States Trailer had grown beyond a lean, single-operator shop. Landon began building a team, bringing in employees who shared his vision for customer service and integrity. He sought out individuals dedicated to the industry, valuing their knowledge and the care they take in delivering the right product. For the first time, Western States became a true full-service dealership, offering one of the strongest selections of aluminum and steel trailers in the entire region. The business has since expanded its offerings to provide more comprehensive services, a direct reflection of always working to better serve the customer.

What It Means for Customers

Today, when someone visits Western States Trailer, they’re stepping into a story that spans more than 70 years. From Morris and Arthella’s auctions in the Bitterroot Valley of the 1950s, to Kevin and Lynda’s work in Missoula, to Landon’s decade plus of building Western States into a modern dealership, the throughline has always been the same: do right by people. Western States Trailer isn’t just a place to buy a trailer. It’s the continuation of a family tradition of entrepreneurship, resilience, and community—now carried forward into a new generation.