Tiger Trailers is expanding its territory with the construction of a new, £22 million factory in Winsford, which will enable the company to double annual production output to around 3,000 trailers and bodies, as well as creating a further 120 skilled jobs over the next three years. The breaking ground ceremony took place on Friday.
“Our pace of growth has been pretty remarkable for a UK-based manufacturer, driven by customer demand both domestically and within Europe. We’re confident about what the future holds, and excited about the wider opportunities the new factory will bring – including options to extend beyond our current dry freight product range,” said John Cartwright, managing director.
The build and fitting-out phase for the 168,000 ft2 site will take approximately 27 weeks and will be led by construction firm Bowmer & Kirkland. Tiger has now turned its attention to growing its workforce in time for the transfer into the new factory and it has an immediate requirement for 40 new members of staff, including 20 apprentices.
“We elected to remain in Winsford as we’ve built up a fantastic team who we wanted to retain, plus we are also well positioned for attracting new talent from across Cheshire, Staffordshire, Lancashire, North Wales, Merseyside and Greater Manchester,” said Steven Cartwright, managing director.
“There’s currently huge interest in the brand, the fact we’re part of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and that, very soon, we’ll have the most modern trailer manufacturing facility in the country. The working environment on the shop floor is incredibly important to us, and in a little over six months’ time we’ll have the best in the industry,” he added.
The new building aims to gain an overall ‘A’ rating for efficiency, with energy efficient heat pump heating and cooling systems, as well as high efficiency LED lighting throughout the offices and production area, each with automated lighting controls. Moreover, upon completion, the local wildlife will be encouraged to colonise the greenspace and pond area.
Tiger plans to commence the transfer of existing equipment into its new home during late-December and early-January, once the new paint booths, shot blasting booth, cranes and materials handling equipment has been installed.
