For 27 years Malcolm Webster, from Ingleby Cross, was the official distributor for Ifor Williams Trailers in his area, but now at the age of 74, Mr Webster has called it a day.

"I’ve not had a holiday for many years and I’m proud of the service we offered our customers. I was on call seven days a week," he said.

Mr Webster will now be able to spend more time on the family farm.

The distributorship has now been taken over by Ripon Trailer Centre, the parent company of which is Ripon Farm Services Ltd which was established in 1982 as a John Deere dealership.

The company rapidly expanded to operating from five depots throughout the North including one in Ottringham, near Hull, from which the Ifor Williams Trailers range of trailers is also sold.

The company incorporates Ripon Land Rover, which operates from purpose built premises and claims to sell more Land Rover Defenders than any other UK dealership, along with the full range of Freelander, Discovery and Range Rover.

Ripon Trailer Centre, in North Road, Ripon, was acquired by the group some four years ago and has been selling a range of trailers including predominately livestock trailers.

So, it was only natural that when Malcolm Webster made it known he was planning to retire, the company should grasp the opportunity to take over the franchise.

The contract with Ifor Williams Trailers was finally signed at the end of last year and the impact of the Ifor Williams product being offered through such a highly reputable established company, has resulted in rapid sales growth.

"In December we have sold 90% more trailers – mainly livestock trailers and horseboxes- than we would normally have done," said Brian Whincup who is in charge of sales at Ripon Trailer Centre.

"We haven’t advertised the distributorship yet and so it must have got round virtually entirely by word-of-mouth."

"In good times such a response might have been expected, but in the current economic climate it’s amazing."

The RFS Group has an annual turnover in excess of £50 million with some 200 employees.

Geoff Brown, who has been Managing Director for all of its 27 years, said it was generally acknowledged that Ifor Williams Trailers’ products had a fine reputation and that is why his firm was delighted to have been awarded the distributorship.

"We are very pleased and have been very pleasantly surprised by the level of sales over the first few weeks. It is extremely encouraging," he said.

John Williams, the Managing Director of Ifor Williams Trailers, was keen to pay tribute to Mr Webster’s "loyal Service" for more than a quarter of a century.

He added: "We are naturally delighted that the Ripon Trailer Centre is building on Mr Webster’s success and that sales are so buoyant.

"Ripon Farm Sevices has trailer outlets in both Ripon and Ottringham and their regular attendance at livestock markets strengthen our presence in Yorkshire."

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