Trailor in stalemate
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
MOVES by Trailor to resolve the problems at its loss-making container division are being hampered by French national and local government policies restricting industrial plant closures and worker redundancies.
The Soissons container plant, which has been operating at a loss since 1981, has been badly affected by the reduction in world shipping and the switch by Far East trading countries to local container suppliers such as Korea and Japan. Although the Soissons factory has a production capacity of 20,000 units per year current production figures are running at 8,000 units..
The local difficulties have not caused serious problems at the commercial trailer building division at Luneville, although resources currently devoted to the container plant could be otherwise used at the trailer factory.
Trailor has made applications to the French Commercial Court to examine the operation at the container division in the hope that the court will endorse company moves either to close the factory or reduce the local workforce.
Trailer production at the Luneville plant is currently running at between 4,500 to 5,000 units, of which approximately 20 per cent is exported. Production figures are increasing, and the division has orders for 1,500 trailers scheduled for delivery over the next three to four months.
UK sales are handled by Trailor International with its main UK distributor being Neville Charrold at Mansfield offering a full range of semitrailers.