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KEEPING AFL
Page 54
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Britain's trailer-building industry is reminiscent of that old adage about swans: serene on the surface but kicking furiously underneath.
Bryan Jarvis reports.
For a trailer manufacturer to remain buoyant in today's turbulent waters, it needs to be constantly scanning the -adar for impending legislative changes, inticipating its customers' needs and always ible to deliver.
The outlook is forever stormy but large ;ompanies, blessed with corporate strength ind a range of marketing strategies, generally nanage to ride it out.
:ontracting out vs one-stop shop
vlany areas of trailer buying are driven purely .)y price, which forces some manufacturers to earch out ways to cut their build costs.
Some buy in ready-made chassis from ountries such as Poland,Turkey and Ireland. 3oa1loy. which was recently bought by James durray Fabrications of Northern Ireland, bought chassis from JMF when the Tautliner producer's sister company. M&G, was unable to build enough.
To supply its enlarged family,JMF is investing in a much larger factory in Ballymoney, which should increase its capacity to 3,500 chassis by 2010—enough to supply Boalloy and M&G as well as clients outside the group.
By contrast, Stoke-based Don-Bur (Bodies &Trailers) prefers to produce virtually everything itself on a 'one-stop-shop' basis. It recently extended this policy to include the chassis, helped by a Lim spend on beam welding, press brake and plasma cutting equipment.This machinery links to the latest 31) CAD/CAM engineering, database and warehousing systems, giving the company control over whole-vehicle development and the various manufacturing processes.
Considering the complexities of designs such as the lifting-deck trailers built for Boots, Marks & Spencer, Next and Wincanton, the ability to make its own chassis,sub-assemblies and GRP mouldings, as well as curtains, printed graphics and cargo control systems. should be especially useful when whole vehicle type approval finally arrives.
But selling foreign-made trailers in the UK, especially those with moving floors, requires careful marketing strategies.
Knapen Trailers is a Dutch company which now runs its own affairs in the UK, having parted company last November with its former UK outlet, Keighley,West Yorks-based R&! Sales.With Stephen Collins as business manager,Knapen has set up a national service centre via a joint venture with UK Commercial Services of St Helens which handles repairs. maintenance and warranty work.
According to Collins,Knapen has taken this route to extend its UK customer base and protect its existing business. High-profile clients include Eddie Stobart and Jenkinson.