The first idea for a SCOTTY trailer was born on July 4, 1956, and was drawn onto the back of a calendar. John Serro, a 55 year old retired auto dealership owner, was on a trip where bad weather prevented him from enjoying outdoor activities. It was then that he had a vision and immediately decided to sketch it out: it was a bed, sink, two-burner stove, and dinette all tucked into a 13 ft. long trailer that could fit inside the average garage.
After returning from his trip, he built the very first model, the SCOTTY Sportsman. Since it quickly became a hit with customers, he partnered with his son-in-law, Joe Pirschl, and opened the first SCOTTY Serro factory in Irwin, PA. Over the years, Scotty SERRO became an established household name within the Pittsburgh regional area and beyond.
As time passed, the popularity of SCOTTY trailers only continued to grow. As a result, it led to the opening of the Scottyland Campground in 1963. In addition, 56 chapters of the SCOTTY Serro Owners Association were founded across the country. This feat made Scotty SERRO the first camping trailer manufacturer located east of Mississippi that operated factories in Pennsylvania, Ashburn, Georgia, and Bristow, Oklahoma. Soon, the company’s mascot, a Scottish terrier, was found on all kinds of apparel. “We became known as the big name in little trailers,” stated Joe Pirschl, “and that’s how the Scottish terrier found its place in our business. It’s a well-known little dog, just like our trailers.”
In 1990, Joe Pirschl’s daughter, Anne Degre, joined the family business and discovered a niche for a trailer now known as the SCOTTY Fire Safety House. With her innovation, fire departments and other first responders were able to bring fire prevention and safety education into their communities in the form of our company’s lightweight trailers.
However, on April 17, 1997, the company’s 45,000 square-foot factory in Irwin burned to the ground. The owners and staff were determined to endure, so they got back to work at a temporary location 25 days later.
In 2001, the company’s name was changed to “Mobile Concepts by Scotty” to reflect a new focus on engineering, designing, and manufacturing specialty trailers such as the Fire Safety House. Since then, the company has specialized in manufacturing task-specific vehicles and trailers for everything from fire departments and command centers used by the U.S. Department of Defense.
In late 2014, “by Scotty” was replaced with “Specialty Vehicles” to better emphasize the company’s expertise. Despite many changes that occurred for over 6 decades, the Scotty brand has been, and will continue to be, a trusted name. To this day, the Scottish terrier is still used in the company’s logo and represents family, value, and integrity.
In late 2014, the “by Scotty” was replaced with “Specialty Vehicles” to better portray the company’s expertise.
In December of 2017, Anne Degre passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. Despite the difficult loss, the company continued to grow and evolve.
In January 2021, a local family with an automotive background, like John Serro, purchased Mobile Concepts. The siblings, Christine Mohler-King, Bill Mohler, and Rob Mohler, are involved in the automotive retail business, own an automotive collision center, have a wholesale parts business, and are experienced in real estate development. Since then, the company’s newest expansion into specialty vehicles has incorporated different areas of their expertise. To this day, they continue to work with the experienced employees at Mobile Concepts Specialty Vehicles to explore new opportunities and product offers.
Mobile Concepts Specialty Vehicles is here to stay and continue to bring the same high-quality, customized specialty vehicles and trailers for many more years to come! We look forward to working with our customers and providing your company with the best mobile solutions.
Mobile Concepts – Built to Last. Engineered to Serve.