Ifor Williams trailers arrive in the Berkshire Trailer Centre in Lambourn Woodlands as agricultural plant and machinery firm John Day Engineering expand to take on this iconic brand.
Already suppliers of some of the world’s best-known horse trainers, as from this month market-leading Ifor Williams trailers arrive at the centre, which, whilst creating five new jobs will likely herald greater workforce expansion as the Marlborough, Kennet Valley and Lambourn area have easy access to market-leading trailers Ifor Williams.
The family-run business already employs eighteen staff but is now recruiting an extra five roles through the new distributorship – one in sales, three in after sales care and one in the workshop – and has ambitious growth plans for the future.
Taking its name from its founder, the late John Day in 1985, the business his has been run and developed by his sons Chris and Robin Day. Having already become established with a successful haulage arm and a long-standing relationship with nearby Lambourn Training Ground – the second largest centre of excellence for race horse training in the UK after Newmarket, this tie-up with Ifor Williams Trailers takes John Day Engineering in a new but very complementary direction.
A new dedicated display area and service bay is being created to handle the already significant demand.
Chris Day, managing director, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for us and will complement our existing tractor and plant franchises very well.
“My father came from a farming family near Cheltenham. Farming and machinery is in our blood, we couldn’t do anything else… Ever since we started the business, we’ve used Ifor Williams Trailers. We know first-hand the quality, build and usage of these trailers – they’re first-class.”
Adding: “We’ve certainly doubled the size of the business in 36 years and possibly trebled. With the addition of the Ifor Williams distributorship, we’re looking to expand further so this is an important milestone for all of us.
“There’s a lot of interest from local people and we’re already waiting to confirm orders for trailers. That’s just word-of-mouth from our own customers so we’re off to a great start.”
Chris, 57, studied agricultural engineering at Harper Adams Agricultural College (now Harper Adams Agricultural University), near Newport, Shropshire, while his brother Robin, 64, after sales director, completed an apprenticeship with a local farm machinery dealer before both took a hands-on role in launching the family business.
Chris said the new venture had already generated a lot of excitement among his current customers, with many scrambling to place orders. “We have had customers asking for Ifor Williams trailers for a while and so when the distributorship became available, we were very keen to get on-board,” he said.
“Ifor Williams Trailers is a market-leader in the UK. They are extremely well-built trailers and there’s an extensive product range to offer our customers.
“We are based in a predominantly arable farming area but we have some livestock farms as well and a significant equestrian community.
“We are literally two miles from Lambourn training ground which is one of the top racing yards in the country. We already work with a lot of trainers at Lambourn and supply tractors and so we know our new relationship with Ifor Williams Trailers will be very well-received.”
Rob Small, Head of Sales at Ifor Williams Trailers, congratulated the firm on its new partnership with Ifor Williams. “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Chris, Robin and the team and look forward to working side-by-side in bringing the Ifor Williams Trailers brand to this thriving area of the country,” he said. “Their success over more than three decades is testament to the strong family values at the core of the business and we are excited to be part of their dynamic journey. “With Chris and Robin’s experience in the agricultural and equestrian markets, and their energy and passion, this is the perfect opportunity to maximise the reach of our class-leading products in the South and already they have hit the ground running.”
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