An award-winning trailer firm is celebrating regaining top spot for sales in France.

Ifor Williams Trailers uses 8,000 tonnes of steel every year – that’s the equivalent of one and a half Eiffel Towers.

Sales have also doubled in Germany where a leading equine magazine, Cavallo, recently declared the company’s flagship horsebox was the best in Europe.

The news was revealed during a visit by the Leader of Flintshire County Council, Cllr Arnold Woolley, and the Deputy Leader, Cllr Tony Sharps.

They were taken on a tour of IWT Deeside, on Deeside Industrial Estate, where the company’s horseboxes are built.

The iconic brand celebrated its 50th anniversary last year when the new horsebox was launched at a special ceremony attended by distributors from across the UK and Europe.

Cllr Woolley said: "I am very impressed with what I have seen and heard during the visit.

"What I see here is a progressive company with its eye very much on the ball – they are very outward looking and very proactive.

"That is the perfect basis for growing and exporting which is the lifeblood of this country.

"I was delighted to hear that they are number one in France again, they are flying the flag for Wales and for Flintshire.

"The quality of the trailers is what sells, it’s what gives the company its excellent reputation and it stands out when you walk around the production line.

"You then see how dedicated, how active and how interested everybody is in making sure that the quality of their work individually is first class.

"I am delighted that the company chose to establish a factory at this location because I want Flintshire to grow.

"Flintshire, as a corporate body, will be right behind the company helping every way we can.

Cllr Tony Sharps added: "It’s a well-known North Wales firm providing lot of good skilled, highly paid jobs and we are very lucky to have them here.

"Without any question, the quality of the horseboxes and the other trailers is absolutely first class.

"Wherever you go in the world you are bound to see one of their horseboxes or trailers – from New York, to Africa to Tenerife.

"The name of Ifor Williams Trailers is world renowned. That is why we are so proud to have them here in Flintshire.

"Despite all the credit crunch and all the miserable stories we hear in the news, this company still keeps going and doing a very successful job."

Paul Watkins, the Business Operations Manager at IWT Deeside, was delighted they had been able to welcome the two Flintshire dignitaries to the factory.

He said: "We were impressed with the insight and interest shown by Cllr Woolley and Cllr Sharps during their visit to IWT Deeside.

"Everything we do here is geared to being world class – our watchwords are quality, cost and delivery.

"The reputation of the company is very much founded on quality and durability.

"Ifor Williams Trailers as a whole has now made nearly 600,000 trailers and we are very proud of being able to play our part in the company’s continuing success story."

---

News » Flintshire visit