18th September 2017
SDC Trailers double winner at the Export and Freight awards
The Waterfront Hall in Belfast was the location for over 700 people who attended the Export and Freight Awards 2017. In a night that did not disappoint, SDC Trailers came top in two categories, namely the "Top Team” sponsored by Fuso and "Top Training Provider” sponsored by Renault Trucks UK.
Enda Cushnahan, CEO of SDC Trailers was delighted with the wins, "We are completely honoured to have won these prestigious awards at one of the biggest events in the Irish Transport Calendar. I would like to thank all employees at SDC Trailers for their commitment to customers and the team, attention to detail, innovative ideas and hard work which is invested in every project.”
On SDC winning the ‘Top Team’ award, the judges commented: "With highly skilled welders, joiners, fitters, painters and quality inspector’s working in harmony with the company’s management and other divisions, this is a team that really is on top of its game.”
Last year, SDC opened two state of the art training facilities at their headquarters in Toomebridge - a piping and wiring training centre fully equipped with the latest semi-trailer technology and a welding centre which has 8 individual welding bays with cutting, extraction, burning, clamping, measuring and demonstration equipment. SDC’s training centres can facilitate up to forty staff in a relaxed and comfortable, off-the-job environment, as well as providing a platform to review and advance manufacturing processes. The project represents a £200k investment from SDC Trailers and has led to the creation of four full time training officer positions in the last 12 months, making up an in-house training department team of ten staff.
SDC Trailers was established in Toomebridge, Northern Ireland in 1978 and have since grown to become the largest trailer manufacturer in the UK and Ireland. The Company have a workforce of over 900 people and four state of the art production facilities in Toomebridge, Antrim and Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. SDC Trailers specialise in bespoke curtain-side, box van, skeletal and platform trailers. A long tradition of engineering excellence has seen the Company introduce a number of ‘industry firsts’ including a fuel saving hybrid semi-trailer, their aerodynamic ‘Aeroliner’ curtainsider and a 15.6m extendable skeletal trailer.
SDC Trailers also sponsored the "Fleet Truck of the Year” award which was awarded to Man Truck & Bus UK.
With 20 separate categories, the annual Transport & Logistics awards, organised by the Hillsborough based publishers of Export & Freight magazine, 4SM (NI) Ltd., is widely regarded as the premier event in the Irish Transport & Logistics calendar, attracting entries, support and sponsorship from all the leading players in the industry.