Meet Justin Campbell

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Justin Campbell again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Justin, we are so thrilled to be connecting again and can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you have been up to. Before we jump into all of that, some of our readers might have missed our prior interview, so can you take a moment to reintroduce yourself?
I’m Justin Campbell, owner of Firefly which is a food truck and trailer manufacturing company. Firefly has been producing world class food trailers for close to a decade with an eye towards reliability and repairability. My path as an owner of Firefly started out in the shop with a mindset of a technician. It took me some time to be able to transition into the role of owner.
I was operating under the false idea that because I was very good at doing the physical work of repairing/manufacturing food trucks, that I would also be very good at running a company that does that work. Initially, my staff were treated closer to an assistant than given their own set of responsibilities. A bit over 4 years ago, I was in a pretty bad motorcycle accident that kept me hospitalized and under constant care for close to 6 months. I had ample time for self reflection and decided it would be wise to spend my down time bettering myself as a business owner. I researched the curriculum for ivy league business schools and purchased every book that was required reading for 2 or more schools in their business program. After studying everything I could, I saw the error in how I was acting as a business owner and began my journey to transform from working in my company to working on my company.

Great, so let’s jump into an update on what you have been up to since we last spoke. What can you share with us?
The past five years at Firefly have been all about progress. We’ve improved our products, created a better work environment for our team, and made our production process more efficient. By focusing on smart investments and refining our operations, we’ve built a foundation for long-term success. The results speak for themselves—higher-quality food trailers, faster turnaround times, and a team that takes pride in their work.
One of the biggest drivers of this growth has been our investment in engineering. We brought multiple engineers on board to develop our latest product line, a process that took nearly two years. The result is a lineup of food trailers that we believe sets a high standard for design and functionality.
We’ve also shifted from a fully custom shop to a more streamlined manufacturing model. In the past, constant variation in projects made planning difficult and added stress to our team. By standardizing our processes and focusing on a core product group, we’ve created a more predictable work environment. As a result, employee turnover has dropped significantly, and many of our team members have been with us for several years.
Food trucks and trailers are often built as one-off custom projects, with each part individually cut and installed. While that approach allows for flexibility, it also increases costs, lengthens production times, and can lead to inconsistent quality. Our shop now operates with pre-engineered, CNC laser-cut and bent parts, all organized and labeled for efficiency. This structured approach has helped us improve both quality and production speed.
Looking ahead, our focus is on refining and optimizing our processes. We’re always looking for ways to improve, and customer feedback plays a key role in shaping future product updates. By continuing to streamline our operations while staying responsive to customer needs, we’re committed to delivering high-quality food trailers that meet industry demands.
Firefly’s growth has been a team effort, and we’re excited about what’s ahead. By staying focused on innovation, efficiency, and customer needs, we’re building not just better food trailers, but a stronger company. We appreciate the support of our customers, employees, and partners and look forward to continuing this journey together.

Alright, so let’s do something a bit more fast-paced and lighthearted. We call this our lightning round and we’ll ask you a few quick questions.

Favorite Book: The E Myth

Sweet or Savory: Savory. Why have dessert when you have room for more steak?

Mountains or Beach: Ocean

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: Food Photographer. I went to culinary school to pursue this but my path took a different direction

French Fries or Onion Rings: Either as long as it’s not steak fries

Favorite Childhood movie: Neverending Story. I named my fishing boat “Falkor”

Favorite Breakfast Food: Kielbasa

Life is often about tough choices – can you talk to us about your thought process, strategy or philosophy when it comes to making difficult choices or tradeoffs.
At heart, I’m an opportunist. There are doors to be opened everywhere but you have to have your eyes open and embrace the outcome. Entering any situation without fear stems from believing that you can tackle anything that comes your way. I do believe that to start a business in this day and age, a certain level of delusion is required. You have to believe that you’ll exceed regardless of the facts and data against you. A completely pragmatic approach to starting a boot strapped business doesn’t typically flourish. Alternatively, ignoring the facts completely leads to an abrupt end as well. Success comes from somewhere in between these.

Website: https://www.fireflyfabrication.com

Instagram: @Firefly_fabrication

Facebook: @FireflyFoodTruck

Youtube: FireflyFabrication