IIINEWSBODYBUILD1NG
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• For sheer variety, innovation and quality, the Belgian Royal Professional Association of Goods Transporters of Flanders' (SAV) biennial Trailer '91 takes some beating.
The trailer, bodywork and equipment exhibition held last month in the 26,000m2 Kortrijk centre, showed more than 50 trailer and bodybuilders alone and the 126 stands attracted about 15,000 trade visitors from the EC — 2,000 of them from the UK.
Others came from the Eastern Bloc and as far away as Argentina and the Far East. Regrettably, only one UK trailer manufacturer, Wilson Double-Deck Trailers of Craigavon, Northern Ireland exhibited there but it reported tremendous interest.
With the UK's high standards of build quality, the perilous state of our economy and Europe's enormous sales potential, it seemed like a missed opportunity for British manufacturing. UK exhibitors would have quickly noted a keen interest from foreign firms in selling
their wares into the UK or in reciprocal trade agreements.
Schmitz, however, lost no time publicising UK ownership of the former York Thermostar facility, while Boalloy was represented by its Tautliner Europa BY subsidiary.
Other UK organisations represented included Drum Engineering, Rubery Owen-Rockwell, Rotolok (Europe) and whosesale parts distributor W Kellett from Sheffield. All reported considerable interest.