How One Family Built a Dealership to Last 

Great Dane of Utah is a family-owned Great Dane dealership that Bill Nehmer began in partnership with Great Dane in 2001.   

Celebrating 25 years this year, the dealership’s story continues through the next generation. We recently caught up with Alli Nehmer White, the oldest of five siblings involved in the company their dad built. 

Alli serves as the company’s Marketing Director, and she explains what makes this dealership unique and why it has had continued success.  

Bill Nehmer (center) with his five grown children and their families.  

Take a few minutes to see what makes this dealership thrive. 

Great Dane: Great Dane Utah is one of the largest Great Dane dealership in the western United States, covering Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and Wyoming. What do you attribute to your company thriving for 25 years?  

Alli White: We attribute it to our customer service externally and to the environment we’ve created and strong culture for our employees internally.  

Great Dane: What makes your partnership with Great Dane work so well for both parties?  

Alli White: We think it’s always been a premium product marrying well with premium customer service. We always know Great Dane products are going to be well-built and we feel comfortable on our end selling them with the long-standing relationships we’ve built. We work well across the country because we’re each putting our best foot forward in our own sphere.  

Great Dane: How would you describe your mission and values – the things you stand for?  

Alli White: We feel like our customer service is top notch every step of the way. And we are a full service dealership, so the customer coming in will have a lot of touchpoints. They have the opportunity to be impressed – or not. When they start looking at products, when they get to buying, licensing, picking up their paperwork – every part of the process needs to leave them thinking  that they were in good hands and well-treated.  

Great Dane: What does a family run business mean for your customers?  

Alli White: They can feel the difference when they walk through the door. Because we’re family-owned, we’re invested in all of those touchpoints I mentioned, but we’re also invested in every part of our organization. Our parking lot is clean, our lunches are top notch, the swag we hand out is very high quality.  

When a customer walks in, we’re first going to ask how they’re doing and about their family before we ever get to business. When they go through the business process, we want them to leave feeling like part of the Great Dane family.  

Growing up, my Dad, Bill, always said whether it was at the business or at home, that anyone who is welcomed into our sphere is met with the same motto as Olive Garden: “When you’re here, you’re family.” 

Great Dane: What are your customers usually looking for when they come to your dealership?  

Alli White: We cover it all – new, used, rentals, sales, financing, parts, and service. I think that’s what has made us strong and able to fluctuate as the market fluctuates. We don’t lose our customer base because whatever a customer comes in needing, we have an avenue to provide it.  

Great Dane: Is it typical to have customers who’ve been with you for decades?  

Alli White: Yes, we have customers who remember me as a child, and we have generational relationships which are really special.  

Great Dane: What do the next 25 years look like for Great Dane of Utah?  

Alli White: It will look different as some of our top tier employees look toward retirement, but we’re excited to celebrate them as they choose their timeline. We’ll have slow transitions with  a lot of partnerships where we will double cover for a few years so there won’t be any sudden shifts.  

We’ll have a lot of changes and a lot of opportunities, but we feel like there will always be some Nehmer family members involved in our business.  

If you’re in the western U.S. and need a pre-owned or new Great Dane trailer, the team at Great Dane of Utah is ready to help! 

Located elsewhere? Check out our new and pre-owned trailers and truck bodies that are in stock and ready to go from our nationwide network.