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.
Agricultural plant and machinery firm John Day Engineering, which already supplies some of the world’s best-known horse trainers, will start selling market-leading products from Ifor Williams Trailers this month at the Berkshire Trailer Centre.
The family-run business already employs 18 staff but is now recruiting an extra five roles through the new distributorship – one in sales, three in after sales care and one in the workshop – and has ambitious growth plans for the future.
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.
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.
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 – the second largest centre of excellence for race horse training in the UK after Newmarket.
With a new Ifor Williams Trailers distributorship under its belt, strengthening the iconic trailer brand’s 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.
Chris Day, managing director, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us and will complement our existing tractor and plant franchises very well.
“My father came from a farming family near Cheltenham. Farming and machinery is in our blood, we couldn’t do anything else.
“Ever since we started the business, we’ve used Ifor Williams Trailers. We know first-hand the quality, build and usage of these trailers – they’re first-class.
“We’ve certainly doubled the size of the business in 36 years and possibly trebled. With the addition of the Ifor Williams distributorship, we’re looking to expand further so this is an important milestone for all of us.
“There’s a lot of interest from local people and we’re already waiting to confirm orders for trailers. That’s just word-of-mouth from our own customers so we’re off to a great start.”
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.
“My 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,” explained Chris, who has a 19-year-old son.
“It was a lifelong ambition to own a dealership and so we’re really proud of his achievements.
“We 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.
“Eight 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’ Genuine Spare Parts with a four-post ramp as well as altering our display area.
“We have a staff of 18 and are expanding – recruiting extra sales people, workshop staff and roles in parts.
“We 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’s how we have built our business.”
Chris said the new venture had already generated a lot of excitement among his current customers, with many scrambling to place orders.
“We 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,” he said.
“Ifor Williams Trailers is a market-leader in the UK. They are extremely well-built trailers and there’s an extensive product range to offer our customers.
“We are based in a predominantly arable farming area but we have some livestock farms as well and a significant equestrian community.
“We 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.”
Rob Small, Head of Sales at Ifor Williams Trailers, congratulated the firm on its new partnership with Ifor Williams.
“We 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,” he said.
“Their 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.
“With Chris and Robin’s 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.”
