A new trailer distributor is creating five more jobs and has further plans to expand its workforce thanks to its new partnership with an iconic brand.<\/p>\n
Agricultural plant and machinery firm John Day Engineering, which already supplies some of the world\u2019s best-known horse trainers, will start selling market-leading products from Ifor Williams Trailers this month at the Berkshire Trailer Centre.<\/p>\n
The family-run business already employs 18 staff but is now recruiting an extra five roles through the new distributorship \u2013 one in sales, three in after sales care and one in the workshop \u2013 and has ambitious growth plans for the future.<\/p>\n
The firm, which operates from Lambourn Woodlands in Hungerford, Berkshire, was founded by the late John Day, his wife Mavis, and sons Chris and Robin Day in 1985.<\/p>\n
It represented the accomplishment of a life-long ambition for John Day, who was then aged 60 and had always dreamt of launching his own dealership.<\/p>\n
Now run exclusively by his sons, the business continues to go from strength to strength, with a successful haulage arm and a long-standing relationship with nearby Lambourn Training Ground \u2013 the second largest centre of excellence for race horse training in the UK after Newmarket.<\/p>\n
With a new Ifor Williams Trailers distributorship under its belt, strengthening the iconic trailer brand\u2019s presence in the South of England, the company is creating a new dedicated display area and service bay and already has customers queuing up for the new stock.<\/p>\n
Chris Day, managing director, said: \u201cThis is an exciting opportunity for us and will complement our existing tractor and plant franchises very well.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father came from a farming family near Cheltenham. Farming and machinery is in our blood, we couldn\u2019t do anything else.<\/p>\n
\u201cEver since we started the business, we\u2019ve used Ifor Williams Trailers. We know first-hand the quality, build and usage of these trailers \u2013 they\u2019re first-class.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve certainly doubled the size of the business in 36 years and possibly trebled. With the addition of the Ifor Williams distributorship, we\u2019re looking to expand further so this is an important milestone for all of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of interest from local people and we\u2019re already waiting to confirm orders for trailers. That\u2019s just word-of-mouth from our own customers so we\u2019re off to a great start.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chris, 57, studied agricultural engineering at Harper Adams Agricultural College (now Harper Adams Agricultural University), near Newport, Shropshire, while his brother Robin, 64, after sales director, completed an apprenticeship with a local farm machinery dealer before both took a hands-on role in launching the family business.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy father was in agricultural engineering and farm machinery all his life. He was working for various dealers and we set up our own business in 1985,\u201d explained Chris, who has a 19-year-old son.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a lifelong ambition to own a dealership and so we\u2019re really proud of his achievements.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe started in small, rented premises in Welford which is west of Newbury. Then we progressed and expanded with a transport business and specialist farm machinery and plant equipment.<\/p>\n
\u201cEight years ago, we acquired our present eight-acre greenfield site on the old airfield industrial site which we own outright and developed. Everything operates from one site and so we are modifying our existing workshop to offer a dedicated service bay area offering Ifor Williams\u2019 Genuine Spare Parts with a four-post ramp as well as altering our display area.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a staff of 18 and are expanding – recruiting extra sales people, workshop staff and roles in parts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are, and will always be, very much a family business. We treat all our staff as individuals and as we would expect to be treated. We pride ourselves on first-class customer services and that\u2019s how we have built our business.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chris said the new venture had already generated a lot of excitement among his current customers, with many scrambling to place orders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have had customers asking for Ifor Williams trailers for a while and so when the distributorship became available, we were very keen to get on-board,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIfor Williams Trailers is a market-leader in the UK. They are extremely well-built trailers and there\u2019s an extensive product range to offer our customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are based in a predominantly arable farming area but we have some livestock farms as well and a significant equestrian community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are literally two miles from Lambourn training ground which is one of the top racing yards in the country. We already work with a lot of trainers at Lambourn and supply tractors and so we know our new relationship with Ifor Williams Trailers will be very well-received.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rob Small, Head of Sales at Ifor Williams Trailers, congratulated the firm on its new partnership with Ifor Williams.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are absolutely delighted to welcome Chris, Robin and the team and look forward to working side-by-side in bringing the Ifor Williams Trailers brand to this thriving area of the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir success over more than three decades is testament to the strong family values at the core of the business and we are excited to be part of their dynamic journey.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Chris and Robin\u2019s experience in the agricultural and equestrian markets, and their energy and passion, this is the perfect opportunity to maximise the reach of our class-leading products in the South and already they have hit the ground running.\u201d<\/p>\n