MHW Magazine News and stories from the Materials Handling Industry
In advance of the forthcoming Commercial Vehicle Show, Schmitz Cargobull (UK) Ltd has announced that in the first nine months of the 2007/2008 financial year, UK sales of Schmitz Cargobull refrigerated trailers were up 40 per cent on the whole of the previous financial year. Even more impressively, during the same period, the company almost doubled sales of curtainsiders to the UK market against 2006/2007's figures.
One of the key drivers of the company's success has been the significant investment made by the Schmitz Cargobull Group in its UK manufacturing facility at Harelaw, County Durham.
Production techniques and processes at the Harelaw plant have been significantly overhauled and, as a result, refrigerated trailer manufacturing capacity has increased by in excess of 50 per cent, while curtainsider and dry freight box van output at the site has grown by some 20 per cent.
As a result of the changes, Schmitz Cargobull has been able to offer its clients what are understood to be the shortest new trailer delivery lead times of any UK trailer manufacturer.
Furthermore, the fact that Schmitz Cargobull produces its own range of axles at its factory in Altenberge, Germany, also means that the company's clients have the reassurance of knowing that the supply of their newly ordered trailers will not be held up by the axle shortage that continues to affect many UK trailer builders.
Among the leading UK-based companies to have upgraded their trailer fleets with Schmitz Cargobull products during the current financial year are Cummins Engines, Potter Group, P&O Ferry Masters and Hill Hire.
“With the value added services that we offer, such as finance, parts and service, Telematics and, of course, our Cargobull Trailer Stores, Schmitz Cargobull is recognized as 'More than Just a Trailer Manufacturer',” says Andrew Morley, Schmitz Cargobull (UK) Ltd's sales and marketing director. “In addition to the developments at our UK factory we have expanded our UK sales force significantly this year. We believe that by investing in this way we will ensure
that our UK market share continues to grow and that we remain the leading logistics and haulage operators' preferred trailer partner.”
www.cargobull.com
Schmitz Cargobull (UK) is a division of the German-owned Schmitz Cargobull Group, the biggest and leading manufacturer and supplier of semi-trailers in Europe. The Group, with 4500 employees and a turnover of 1,308 billion Euros now produces 50,000 plus units a year at manufacturing plants in Germany, Spain, Lithuania and Great Britain. The UK factory is situated at Harelaw, County Durham and employs over 350 workers. Some 3000 plus refrigerated, dry freight and curtain-sided semi-trailers are developed and produced at the UK site every year. A number of additional services complete the company profile: Cargobull Finance for leasing and lease purchasing; Schmitz cargobull Parts & Services GmbH for vehicle servicing and spare parts; Cargobull Service Partners for repairs and maintenance; Cargobull Telematics for trailer telematics and Cargobull Trailer Store for used trailers.
