Europe’s biggest trailer maker has been hailed as a “beacon of excellence”.
The plaudit came from Clwyd South AM Ken Skates during a visit to the headquarters of Ifor Williams Trailers in Cynwyd, near Corwen.
The firm has a network of 50 UK distributors and 40 distributors across Europe and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.
In a year, they use enough steel to build the equivalent of one and a half Eiffel Towers.
They were particularly proud when the respected German equine magazine, Cavallo, declared the company’s flagship horsebox was the best in Europe.
The judges gave the HB506 from Ifor Williams Trailers their seal of approval after concluding it was the most comfortable, horse-friendly horsebox among the seven models they tested.
Mr Skates said: “Ifor Williams Trailers is truly a beacon of excellence. It’s an indigenous Welsh company competing on the global stage and it’s a company of the highest quality.”
“One of the things that keeps them there at the top of the tree in terms of the market is their commitment to research and development.
“A lot of people don’t realise just how much research and development goes on here and how many high skill jobs there are, jobs that would otherwise not be in existence in this area.
“The quality of the product is second to none. It’s got a great brand recognition as well.”
“The result of the Cavallo survey speaks volumes about the product which is of the highest quality.
“It’s produced in North Wales with considerable skill, there’s a lot of creative thinking here as well.
“They invest heavily in the future and in future products which you don’t tend to find in other companies, so absolutely I can appreciate why it’s rated as number one.
“The company provides opportunities for young people in particular who are looking to stay in Wales and who want good jobs to enable them to remain in their communities.”
“Ifor Williams Trailers is an absolutely crucial employer. We’re talking about 100s of jobs representing more than a 1000 people in terms of family figures so it’s crucial to the local economy and to local communities.”
Business Operations Manager Rob Small took Mr Skates on a guided tour of the factory.
He said: “We were delighted that Mr Skates took the time and trouble to come and visit it.
“We are extremely proud of what we do here and we were pleased to have the opportunity to show Mr Skates what we do. We were impressed with the insight and interest shown by him.
“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.”
