Close to 200 customers, dignitaries and members of the press gathered at the Schmitz Cargobull factory in the UK to celebrate the official opening of the plant.
At the production facility in Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester, trailers have been specially developed for the UK & Ireland since the summer of 2021 – equipped according to market-specific customer requirements. In addition to the dry freight box S.BO PACE and the curtainsider S.CS FIXED ROOF, the “pillarless” curtainsider S.CS FREEPOST now complements the trailer portfolio manufactured in Manchester.
“Schmitz Cargobull stands for reliability and innovation and guarantees consistently high-quality standards worldwide, from vehicle configuration to the handover of the vehicle to the customer. The opening of the plant, here on site in Manchester, is therefore an important step. The plant joins our network of highly flexible production facilities, enabling us to respond quickly to local market requirements,” says Andreas Schmitz, CEO at Schmitz Cargobull.
“The new Manchester plant enables us to bring trailers to our customers in the UK and Ireland that fit specific market demands, while offering the most reliable and proven chassis solutions in order to help achieve best total cost of ownership. In addition, transfer costs, CO2 emissions and throughput times are minimised,” adds Boris Billich, Director of Sales at Schmitz Cargobull.
The new Schmitz Cargobull facility in the UK is the latest of a total of ten production sites in Germany (Altenberge, Vreden, Gotha), Lithuania, Spain, Slovakia, Turkey, Australia and South Africa. The 7,500 sq m production area in Manchester offers a total capacity of 60 units per week in single-shift operation. The 1,000 sq m spare parts warehouse ensures rapid local supply.
Schmitz Cargobull employs a total of 72 people in the UK. The team is led by Paul Avery, Managing Director Operations, and Colin Maher, who has held the position of Managing Director Sales & Services since January 2023.
“We want to support transport companies in the UK and Ireland in the best possible way with our comprehensive range of reliable and innovative transport solutions. This includes vehicles with market-specific features, the shortest delivery times, an extensive 24/7 spare parts supply as well as our proven range of services from financing to telematics and used vehicle sales,” says Maher. “The introduction of the new semi-trailers means we now have our strongest ever product portfolio in the UK.”
“Manchester has proven the perfect location for us with its strong industrial heritage,” adds Avery. “We’re already seeing a significant influx in demand, and we only expect that to continue to grow in the years ahead.”