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linked Trailers tilting to order
Page 14
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Like many parts of the UK, Wisbech has had to suffer the economic ups and downs of recent years. Yet, despite all its trials, one particular workforce is optimistic. Bryan Jarvis spoke to United Trailers' managing director Marcus Layton (left), during a trailer tilt test exercise at Chobham, to discover what the future holds for this Fenland fabricator.
The heart of East Anglia isn't an ideal cation for a high quality aluminium ibricator but United Trailers UK has srned its niche in a community that Is served it well.
Long before the old Wilcox, aliterpart, Seadyke group broke up in ie late '80s. Wisbech town had been ssociated with truck bodybuilding and miler manufacturing.
After successive changes of own'ship, the None Parade factory ncame Wisbech Bulk Systems, then fter merging with the Wilcox remains ad Bridge Bodies, it changed to the original United Trailers.
Inexplicably, as the year 2000 ended, so too did the company, shunting a huge workforce out on the street.
Former group sales director Marcus Layton was among them but, pressed by former customers and suppliers, he pulled the remnants together and in January last year established United Trailers UK at the old None Parade site.
He rejuvenated the old factory site and, with support from Dave Nichol! and Graham Waring of EuroEjectors. reestablished credit facilities with the suppliers. 'Having worked for a company that had gone bankrupt on two occasions, the hardest part was believing that anyone would ever trust us again," he says.
Layton has spent large sums on new workshop lifting gear, in securing ISO 9002 accreditation and on upgrading United's PC system.
With many new jigs and a new build system linked to the main assembly areas, United is able to turn products around much more quickly, and with greater flexibility.
Now with 45 of its original artisans and an office staff of seven, United is getting progressively busier.
"We've had a good first year with many blue-chip and medium-sized operators returning," says Layton. Some are ordering eight or 10 vehicles at a time," he says. "C&G Concrete, for example, now has 16 trailers carrying quarry products. but we're also building ones and twos for small local hauliers."
Surprisingly perhaps, considering the strength of the pound and foreign off-the-shelf availability, demand for push-out ejector and walking-floor trailers are both increasing.
Layton is also busy supplying the waste trade and the animal feed business, which is at last recovering from the foot-and-mouth crisis.
Carlisle-based Carr Billington, for example, wants seven bulk blowers while a neighbour who lost all his animals wants a new truck too. 13..1 Anderson of Wisbech is also taking eight step-frame tippers, while Lea Transfleet has received the last of seven moving-floor trailers.
When it comes to trailer axles and suspensions, Layton is impressed by the speed and efficiency of DaimlerChrysler Discos' service back-up, but he's complimentary about the ArvinMeritor disc-braked axle installation too.
"We're finding the big RO-R disc and Elsa caliper brake a very easy fit," he reports. "The brake chambers are high and angled to stop stonechips getting between pad and disc, shock absorbers are straight-mounted and, like the Discos, there's the 120mm offset. Only time will tell," he says, "but the product's looking good".