Waterfall Bath Enclosures’ Rapid Growth Supported by PacLease Trucks
October 25, 2024
Since 2009, Waterfall Bath Enclosures has established itself as a leading designer and manufacturer of luxury shower and bath enclosures in Texas and surrounding states. Based in Carrollton, Texas, near Dallas, the company provides an extensive range of bath enclosure designs, finishes, and architectural glass options customized to suit the specific needs of its customers. Waterfall Bath Enclosures supplies its products to industry wholesalers, distributors, and specialty glass shops, who then sell these high-quality enclosures to end customers.
In the past few years, the company has experienced significant sales growth across Texas and in states including Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. In 2022, Waterfall Bath Enclosures upgraded from its 21,000-square-foot warehouse to a 78,000-square-foot facility in Carrollton to keep up with growing business. Last year, it also opened a new service center near Austin, Texas, to better serve its customers in the south, and the company has aggressive growth plans and will continue to broaden its geographic footprint.
To transport its products from its manufacturing facility in Carrollton to its customers, Waterfall Bath Enclosures relies on a small fleet of delivery trucks, which includes three Kenworth and Peterbilt medium-duty trucks. According to Richard Davis, Waterfall Bath Enclosures Vice President of Operations and Manufacturing, about five years ago, the company began leasing Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks through its local PacLease franchise to reduce challenges associated with truck ownership.
“We used to own all of our equipment, but we realized that the ongoing maintenance, unexpected costs involved with maintaining equipment, vehicle downtime, and other issues that come with ownership was becoming a hassle,” said Davis. “We don’t have our own shop to service equipment, and we don’t have replacement vehicles at the ready, so leasing became an alternative that we thought would help us more effectively manage our transportation operation.”
Today, Waterfall Bath Enclosures leases Kenworth and Peterbilt trucks on four-year full-service leases with PacLease. Its trucks are spec’d with PACCAR PX-7 engines and PACCAR TX-8 transmissions.
“It’s important for us to put our drivers in high-quality equipment that is comfortable, reliable, and easy to drive, so cycling through new trucks every few years is key to making that happen,” said Davis. “Not only does operating newer equipment help with overall driver satisfaction, it also helps promote our business. We design and manufacture top-tier products and want to operate equipment that reflects that. The trucks we get from PacLease align with how we promote our business.”
High mileage truck usage is the name of the game for Waterfall Bath Enclosures. Davis said the company’s PacLease trucks average about 70,000-75,000 miles annually. To reach its customers in Oklahoma and Kansas twice a week, drivers will make a two-day trip delivering to customers’ locations throughout both states before returning to Dallas. Their trucks also make regular delivery runs to its service center near Austin for dispatch to customers in the area. Since the distance between customer locations and its headquarters can be several hundred miles each way, the company custom specs its PacLease trucks with dual 50-gallon fuel tanks to increase fuel range while reducing driver downtime. Waterfall Bath Enclosures has also worked with PacLease to fit its flatbed trucks with custom glass racks. According to Davis, these open, ‘A-frame’ glass racks are a more efficient way to load, secure, and transport glass products compared to a typical box van.
“PacLease has been a great partner in working with us to build out trucks that work best for our operation,” said Davis. “We cover a large territory with drivers making 15-20 deliveries per day, so having trucks with higher fuel capacity helps us run more efficiently, especially on longer trips. Our glass racks also make it much easier to stack and unload glass doors and safely transport these fragile products. These racks last a long time, so when we cycle into new vehicles, PacLease ensures the dimensions of the new trucks match the racks so they can be transferred.”
For Waterfall Bath Enclosures, peace of mind when managing vehicle maintenance is a huge benefit of full-service leasing. When service is required, or trucks are due for preventative maintenance, PacLease handles service at its location just up the road from Waterfall Bath Enclosures. If there is an issue with a truck that requires extended time in the shop for service, PacLease has replacement vehicles ready for the company to help keep operations running smoothly.
“The level of care we get from PacLease’s service department is top-notch,” said Davis. “Their staff is great to work with, and when our trucks go in for service, they consistently get our trucks back to us the same day or the next day. In our business, that’s key. Any truck downtime we have can affect our delivery windows. We’ve worked with other leasing companies before, and the quality of service and turnaround time for maintenance doesn’t compare to what we have experienced with PacLease.”
If an emergency event takes place out on the road, Waterfall Bath Enclosures is supported by PacLease’s roadside assistance. “We’ve had a few instances where we’ve had a tire issue when a truck is out on delivery, and PacLease’s mobile team has come out to take care of the issue,” said Davis. “Having that support gives us comfort knowing that our trucks will be taken care of.”
As the company continues to look for new opportunities to grow its business, Davis said PacLease trucks will continue to be a part of that equation. “Leasing through PacLease has helped us simplify aspects of the transportation side of our operation so we can focus more on our core business,” said Davis. “PacLease’s high-quality trucks and customer support have been great.”