Construction of a new £22 million Tiger Trailers factory began earlier this month in Winsford, Cheshire.

This will enable the company to double annual output to around 3,000 trailers and bodies, and it is expected to create 120 skilled jobs over the next three years.

Joint managing directors John and Steven Cartwright say that the new site will speed up delivery times and enable the company to branch out into new sectors — including temperature-controlled bodies and trailers.

Production halted for an hour while Tiger’s 180 staff attended the ground-breaking ceremony — alongside local MP Antoinette Sandbach — for the new plant (www.tigertrailers.co.uk).

John Cartwright said: “This is the start of a new chapter in our history, and we wanted to invite everyone on the team to be part of it.

“We’ve been planning this factory for almost two years; we’re now only six months away, and we can’t wait to realise its full potential.”

Tiger Trailers’ turnover has grown from £1.98 million in 2014 to £31.51 million in 2017. “Our pace of growth has been pretty remarkable for a UK-based manufacturer, driven by customer demand both domestically and within Europe.

“We’re confident about what the future holds, and excited about the wider opportunities the new factory will bring.”

Steven Cartwright said: “There’s currently huge interest in the brand, the fact we’re part of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, and that we’ll soon have the most modern trailer-manufacturing facility in the country.”