County Durham trailer firm profits' boost

Sep 30 2009 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

A TRAILER maker has hit its first profit in years and hopes to expand and create up to 200 jobs after a restructure it says makes it a 'world leader.'

Tom Macallan was recruited to knock County Durham firm Schmitz Cargobull UK into shape two years ago and he has shaken up its product range and production, strengthened the sales team and has started to open a chain of service centres.

Schmitz, based at Harelaw, near Stanley, makes 40% of the UK’s refrigerated trailers as well as manufacturing curtain-sided trailers. It posted sales of £64.7m in its last full year results to March this year.

This was down from the previous year’s record sales of £75m. But it has gone to a pre-tax profit of £5m from a loss of £200,000 a year earlier.

Mr Macallan said: “The changes we have made to our production facilities make us a world leader and our enhanced product range is now making inroads.

“What has been achieved in the last two years is a great achievement and we are now ready to attack the new opportunities as they come along.”