A Welsh trailer maker has hooked up with a Celtic cousin to form a new partnership.
Cornwall Farm Machinery has been appointed as a distributor for Ifor Williams Trailers (IWT) which has a global reach through its market-leading products.
Rob Hattam, the general manager of Cornwall Farm Machinery, said the tie-up makes great business sense because of the shared interests and overlapping customer base of the two companies.
Formed in 2010 and about to mark its 15th anniversary next year, Cornwall Farm Machinery has become a ‘go-to’ dealership for the agricultural community right across the county.
It has built a solid reputation for supplying tractors, walk-behind mowers, balers, fertiliser-spreaders, rakes, quadbikes and other top brand farm accessories.
Rob said: “We offer the best machines in the business. Farmers’ livelihoods depend on the reliability of the machines we supply so it’s important that we provide them with the names they know they can trust.
“The addition of Ifor Williams Trailers range to our repertoire can only reinforce that confidence. We’re very excited to be working together with the IWT team.”
The Ifor Williams Trailers products will be sold from Cornwall Farm Machinery’s main depot in Truro, conveniently located off a main road at Carland.
It will be the official supplier for the large central and southern areas of Cornwall.
The company also operates a parts outlet for agricultural machines based in Longrock, Penzance, and it has a Country Store at the Truro depot supplying equine, pet, clothing and footwear, tools and hardware, garden and Stihl products.
Like IWT it is an independent family-owned firm, employing a 19-strong workforce offering the complete package from initial inquiry to sales and after-sales support services.
It is a key business for the county in which recent figures revealed 33,000 people are employed in the agri-food sector, double the average rate for other counties in England.
Rob, who has been with Cornwall Farm Machinery for eight years, is delighted that they have joined Ifor Williams Trailers’ 50-strong network of distributors across the UK.
IWT has global reach with its market-leading products – made in its six factories in Denbighshire and Flintshire, in North Wales. They are sold in outlets across Europe and as far afield as Australia and New Zealand.
First established in 1958, it is Britain’s largest manufacturer of trailers up to 3500kg gross weight, delivering trailers for a wide variety of purposes.
It invests heavily in research and development to produce the most sought after trailers designed to meet the needs of real people doing real jobs.
The best-selling IWT range includes livestock, horsebox, general duty, tipper, plant, flatbed and box van trailers, as well as car transporters and pick-up canopies. Its customer base is also wide, encompassing farmers, show jumpers, tree surgeons, builders and plumbers.
Its products are used by market traders, community organisations and on occasions charitable causes and even hot air balloonists.
Its network of UK distributors is bolstered by a growing number of overseas distribution agents with exports now accounting for about a quarter of IWT sales.
Rob Hattam said the IWT brand is synonymous with quality and professionalism: “They are without doubt a market leader at home and abroad. You will see their trailers wherever you go in the world.
“Professionalism and product reliability are so important to us here at Cornwall Farm Machinery and that’s why it is mutually beneficial for us to work closely together.
“We’re delighted to hear that Ifor Williams Trailers have invested £10 million in creating a new Genuine Parts Hub which will have a huge impact in terms of the rapid delivery of genuine spare parts.
“The IWT range also fits seamlessly with other products we distribute like the internationally renowned Case IH tractors brand, also known for their robust quality.
“Becoming an official Ifor Williams Trailers distributor dovetails nicely with everything else we are about, our existing customer base is a perfect match for the IWT range and it is a big draw for new customers.
“We are really excited about this new partnership because there is so much potential to build on. Ultimately our aim is to provide the agricultural community in Cornwall with the machines which exactly meet all their needs.
“We will be supplying most customers from stock for the wide product range of trailers, so waiting times for all model variants will be minimal and we will have quick access to the Genuine Parts at competitive prices.
“The exceptionally high quality of their range is reflected in the unsurpassed high trade in values secured when customers part exchange their old Ifor Williams trailer for a new Ifor Williams trailer.
“The reliability of their trailers coupled with their attention to detail in design and manufacturing, has ensured that generations of families have chosen Ifor Williams Trailers as their preferred trailer brand, time and time again.”
Ifor Williams Trailers sales manager Lois Wynne is delighted that they have signed up Cornwall Farm Machinery as their newest distributor.
She said: “We’re delighted to be working with the progressive and positive sales team led by Rob Hattam at Cornwall Trailer Centre, the new subsidiary of Cornwall Farm Machinery.
“This is a flagship company in Cornwall, deservedly very successful and with an admirably professional approach to all that they do.
“From our perspective they’re well-known for the high standard of their customer service which gives us the confirmation and confidence that they will look after our customers exceptionally well.
“We already have a distributor in the north of Cornwall and now it is time to invigorate our presence in the mid to south areas. Cornwall Farm Machinery is ideal for helping us achieve that task, well located in Truro, with easy highly visible access.
“This is an exciting opportunity for both parties to grow sales and expand on our already enviable reputations for first class products and first class service.”
