SDC Trailers, the UK and Ireland’s leading semi-trailer producer, recently marked a manufacturing milestone when its 10,000th trailer came off its new production line in Toomebridge, three years after the facility became operational.

The semi-automated line was commissioned in August 2018 as part of a £7million expansion to SDC’s existing Northern Ireland base, which would meet additional demand for their robust and reliable trailer range. The milestone Boxvan trailer was produced for hire and leasing specialist; TIP Trailers Services and is one of over 150,000 manufactured by SDC since the company was established in 1978.

Continued investment has allowed SDC to meet the demand for locally produced trailers at their four production sites in Toomebridge, Antrim and Mansfield. Their 600,000sq ft facilities incorporate some of Europe’s most advanced trailer production methods, supporting a range of sizes, specific product variances, and the scalability to handle higher production volumes when required.

SDC’s Group President Paul Bratton said: “I am proud to be able to announce that we have reached such a fantastic milestone three years after this facility was opened. While technology, innovation and investment have helped us to meet customer demand, it is our loyal, long-serving staff members who have truly shaped the company’s success and the proven reliability of our trailers. I would like to thank every member of our team who worked to achieve this 10,000th trailer milestone, they do an incredible job ensuring every trailer engineered is designed and finished to our exacting quality standards.”

SDC’s Toomebridge Production Manager, Eoin McErlean, who has been with the company for 35 years, added: “This milestone is testament to SDC’s commitment to producing the leading trailer solutions in the industry and it could not have happened without our production, engineering and R&D teams who have served the leading haulage and logistics providers over the last 43 years. At SDC we are committed to developing trailer solutions that further advance safety and operational efficiency, and lean manufacturing is central to this. The new facility in Toomebridge has allowed us to enhance the efficiency of our processes and remain competitive, delivering quality products to customers with minimum lead time.”

Building on four generations of trailer building expertise, SDC delivers customer-centred engineering and industry-first solutions. Over their long manufacturing history, the company has developed a solution for almost every transport application spanning from Curtainsiders and Boxvans, to Platform, Skeletal, Machine Carrier and Drawbar trailers, with a variety of options available to meet the customer’s needs.

While SDC is renowned for its leading trailer portfolio, the company places significant emphasis on lifecycle customer support through their dedicated after-sales teams who provide spare parts, fleet graphics, breakdown assistance, trailer repair, refurbishment, modification, and second-hand sales.

The manufacturer has seen a sharp increase in demand throughout 2021, with one new SDC trailer going into production every 16 minutes.

SDC Trailers

About the Author: John Loughran