<\/p>\n
Zach De Bernardi, CEO and founder of REO Industries, Inc. poses for a photo in his home office, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Chitose Suzuki\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
The Dallas area has seen its share of entrepreneurs<\/a> who take on high-profile markets with new ideas that can disrupt established players. Zach De Bernardi wants to shake up one of the most iconic industries in America.<\/p>\n The North Texan has launched a company that\u2019s working on a pickup truck that comes with needed basics but without the massive size of some of its forebears or the price. Already, De\u00a0Bernardi\u2019s efforts are sparking interest in the auto community, including early sign-ups.<\/p>\n It\u2019s hardly a simple task to get something like this off the ground, much less making it \u00a0successful. But De Bernardi sees a path forward, even if it isn\u2019t for the faint of heart.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI’m not setting out to fail, but with this kind of thing, you can’t be afraid,\u201d De\u00a0Bernardi said. \u201cIf you’re afraid to lose, then you shouldn’t be permitted to win. So \u2026 you got to go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n The company, called\u00a0REO Industries, is making its push into the massive market with a practical truck slated to cost around $21,500, which draws some inspiration from Japan\u2019s Kei car. The price tag could give it access to a wide swath of potential buyers even as it competes with the likes of Ford, GM and Toyota.<\/p>\n De\u00a0Bernardi has been building his team, and in the fourth quarter, the production design and full lineup are set to be unveiled, the website shows. First deliveries are set for late 2028 or early 2029.<\/p>\n The company is taking reservations for the vehicles from interested parties at $25 a pop in chronological order, and\u00a0REO already has attracted over 27,000, or over $600,000. He\u2019s looking to do a sort of seed round to raise between $30 million and $50 million in the coming months. He\u2019s put his own money into the company along with some other investors.<\/p>\n \u201cConsumers are desperate for low-priced vehicles and love their pick-up trucks and Ford has seen success with its hybrid Maverick priced just under $30,000,\u201d Brian Gordon, partner at Dave\u00a0Cantin Group, an adviser to retail automotive dealers and the industry at large, said in an email. \u201cOn paper, for consumers, this is one of the most exciting new entrants out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n ‘Shake things up’<\/p>\n There is some precedence in Texas. Austin-based Tesla<\/a>, while it began in California, has emerged as one of the most important brands in the U.S. in the industry. Toyota also has a strong presence in the state.<\/p>\n Some in the automobile press have taken notice of the North Texas startup. Lucas Bell, associate editor at Road & Track, pointed out in an article<\/a> that there have been many companies that have tried and failed to make in the industry \u2014 while the writer still left room for\u00a0REO\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it takes a startup to shake things up before we get any change, so be it,\u201d the article said. \u00a0\u201cLook what happened when that other Texas-based automaker got some real momentum behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a Dallas-centric company, and De\u00a0Bernardi is looking to set up its manufacturing in North Texas, and there are some potential spots he\u2019s been mulling.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThe conditions are perfect,\u201d De\u00a0Bernardi said. \u201cWe’re right in the center of the country. It’s D-FW. We all know how much it’s growing. So \u2014 want to do it here.\u201d<\/p>\n A lifelong passion<\/p>\n De Bernardi grew up in the Carolinas, watching his dad update his vehicles, including domestic and foreign.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I grew, his hobby grew, and you know I’ve always loved it,\u201d De\u00a0Bernardi said.<\/p>\n De\u00a0Bernardi moved to Dallas around 2013. and would later strike out with a real estate brokerage, Standard Real Estate. After roughly a decade, he sold his stake around 2025 to a business partner.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Around that time, he went through what he called a midlife crisis, including starting a podcast \u201clike everybody else,\u201d he said. But after more than 50 episodes, he lost interest in that.<\/p>\n But there was always the longtime interest in vehicles. That\u2019s included buying vehicles and fixing them up. He rebuilt a Toyota 4Runner almost entirely on his own, for example, and also finished what he called a tasteful upgrade on a Tacoma. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just been really one of my main obsessions,” De\u00a0Bernardi said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n