An MP has hailed the ingenuity and innovation of a flagship North Wales company after it unveiled a \u201cbig beast\u201d of a trailer.<\/p>\n
Liz Saville Roberts, who represents Dwyfor Meirionnydd, was speaking after a visit to the main group office of Ifor Williams Trailers in Corwen.<\/p>\n
During the tour, Ms Saville Roberts was\u00a0 shown the newly-launched livestock trailer which at 16 feet long is the biggest in the popular range that\u2019s beloved by farmers across the world.<\/p>\n
The Ty\u2019n Llidiart site makes components for its five other manufacturing sites in Denbighshire and Deeside where 600 people are employed.<\/p>\n
As well as livestock trailers, the firm makes horseboxes and a wide range of other trailers for every conceivable use.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The horse-loving MP admitted she was already a fan of the company as she owns one of its horseboxes.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI have a vested interest because I\u2019m an Ifor Williams horsebox owner and I was enthusiastic to come here because I trust their products already.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quality of what is being produced at this site in Corwen, their sheer ingenuity and the investment in the engineering is exciting.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe components are all made here at Ty\u2019n Llidiart so it\u2019s the hub of the whole operation<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin my constituency, they have two sites here in Corwen and Cynwyd and a number of sites in North East Wales.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is a fantastic Welsh brand which we should all be proud of. What\u2019s impressive is the sheer quality of what\u2019s manufactured here. If you have a trailer \u2013 and I know many people in my constituency and beyond have.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have seen the accuracy of the engineering, whether you\u2019re talking about the machined hubs, the axles and the quality of the whole trailer, it\u2019s been produced to nanometre accuracy.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you put your livestock or your business in any shape or form \u2013 or in my case your horse \u2013 you want to make sure that it is safe<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m speaking from experience and coming to the factory today has strengthened my faith in the quality of their products.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a Welsh family business that\u2019s rooted in the community and a really important employer so we should all be proud of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very significant business\u00a0 to the economy of North Wales. It is quite extraordinary.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are the market leader and very well respected. We don\u2019t always blow our own trumpet, sing our own praises in Wales. This is an extraordinary company that\u2019s full of innovation, not just with the horseboxes and the livestock trailers and the builders\u2019 trailers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they don\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Mr Bull said: \u201cI was very impressed with the interest and insight she showed and we value her opinions highly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is gratifying to know that she holds the company in such high esteem and regards us as an important employer in her constituency.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was particularly taken with our new 16ft livestock trailer which is the big beast of the livestock range and it\u2019s one that has come about through popular demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur 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\u2019 feedback about what they want.<\/p>\n
\u201cPreviously, our biggest livestock trailer was 14ft and it was clear our customers also wanted the choice of a larger livestock trailer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve also introduced some new upgrades. It\u2019s got LED lights as standard, we\u2019ve improved the sump tank for slurry, making it easier to empty.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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\u2019s easier to use.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n