An MP has hailed the ingenuity and innovation of a flagship North Wales company after it unveiled a “big beast” of a trailer.
Liz Saville Roberts, who represents Dwyfor Meirionnydd, was speaking after a visit to the main group office of Ifor Williams Trailers in Corwen.
During the tour, Ms Saville Roberts was shown the newly-launched livestock trailer which at 16 feet long is the biggest in the popular range that’s beloved by farmers across the world.
The Ty’n Llidiart site makes components for its five other manufacturing sites in Denbighshire and Deeside where 600 people are employed.
As well as livestock trailers, the firm makes horseboxes and a wide range of other trailers for every conceivable use.
Its product ranges include everything from flatbeds and tippers to car transporters and box vans, from catering units to mobile business trailers and medical clinics.
They are sold through a network of more than 100 distributors across the UK, most of Europe and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.
The horse-loving MP admitted she was already a fan of the company as she owns one of its horseboxes.
She said: “I have a vested interest because I’m an Ifor Williams horsebox owner and I was enthusiastic to come here because I trust their products already.
“The quality of what is being produced at this site in Corwen, their sheer ingenuity and the investment in the engineering is exciting.
“The components are all made here at Ty’n Llidiart so it’s the hub of the whole operation
“Within my constituency, they have two sites here in Corwen and Cynwyd and a number of sites in North East Wales.
“It is a fantastic Welsh brand which we should all be proud of. What’s impressive is the sheer quality of what’s manufactured here. If you have a trailer – and I know many people in my constituency and beyond have.
“I have seen the accuracy of the engineering, whether you’re talking about the machined hubs, the axles and the quality of the whole trailer, it’s been produced to nanometre accuracy.
“You can have faith in these materials and many people like me do and they buy again and again from Ifor Williams Trailers, although such is the quality their trailers they can last for 20 years or more.
“When you put your livestock or your business in any shape or form – or in my case your horse – you want to make sure that it is safe
“I’m speaking from experience and coming to the factory today has strengthened my faith in the quality of their products.
“This is a Welsh family business that’s rooted in the community and a really important employer so we should all be proud of it.
“This is a very significant business to the economy of North Wales. It is quite extraordinary.
“They are the market leader and very well respected. We don’t always blow our own trumpet, sing our own praises in Wales. This is an extraordinary company that’s full of innovation, not just with the horseboxes and the livestock trailers and the builders’ trailers.
“They also have car transporters and products for outside catering, for barbers and during Covid they provided mobile clinics. They can produce trailers that can be used for any function which you might be able to imagine and probably many more as well.
“But they don’t rest on their laurels and today I have seen their latest product, the big livestock trailer which I can imagine at 16 ft will be particularly useful for moving cattle and larger numbers of sheep.
“I think in my constituency we probably have more trailers per square mile than anywhere else and I have also seen them in as far flung a place as Patagonia.”
After the tour, Head of Manufacturing Richard Bull said they were delighted that Liz Saville Roberts had taken time out her busy schedule to come to see them.
It was her first visit because the boundaries of the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency had been changed and now included Corwen and Cynwyd where the company had factories.
Mr Bull said: “I was very impressed with the interest and insight she showed and we value her opinions highly.
“It is gratifying to know that she holds the company in such high esteem and regards us as an important employer in her constituency.
“She was particularly taken with our new 16ft livestock trailer which is the big beast of the livestock range and it’s one that has come about through popular demand.
“Our livestock range is tried and tested and very popular but over the years people have tended to go for bigger and bigger trailers and we always listen to customers’ feedback about what they want.
“Previously, our biggest livestock trailer was 14ft and it was clear our customers also wanted the choice of a larger livestock trailer.
“We’ve also introduced some new upgrades. It’s got LED lights as standard, we’ve improved the sump tank for slurry, making it easier to empty.
“The handle for the spring loaded release mechanism for the second deck where people put their sheep is now inside the trailer instead of outside the trailer, so it’s easier to use.
“The new trailer made its public debut at the Royal Welsh Show where it was a big hit with the farming community and we already have lots of advance orders for when it starts rolling off the production line later this year.”
