CONSTRUCTION of the new £22 million factory which is expected to bring up to 270 new jobs to Winsford is now underway.

Commercial vehicle body and trailer manufacturer, Tiger Trailers, has begun work on its new factory on greenfield site on Winsford Industrial Estate, with ongoing support of £2.9million funding from NatWest and Lombard.

As construction on the factory begins, the aim is for this to be fully operational by early 2019, creating up to 170 new jobs in the first phase.

The second phase of the expansion would look at increasing the size of the new factory and bringing a further 100 jobs, however there is not yet a time frame on phase two.

The company’s rapid growth over just four years, alongside its innovation and commitment to the north, has led to Tiger Trailers being announced as the first trailer manufacturer to become a partner of the Northern Powerhouse.

Part of this commitment includes nurturing young talent in the industry, and Tiger Trailers will continue to invest in its own apprenticeship scheme, welcoming its fourth intake of 16 apprentices later this year and aiming to double its intake once the factory is completed.

Founded by John and Steven Cartwright, the family business started from a 100,000 square foot warehouse and one initial order. Today, Tiger Trailers has 180 employees and 4,000 trailers on the road. Its client base includes high profile names such as Amazon, B&M and TNT.

Chris Smith, finance director at Tiger Trailers, said: “The company started with the vision of creating innovative transport products from a Cheshire manufacturing facility. Thanks to ongoing funding from NatWest and Lombard, we have realised our vision and rapidly grown to become one of the UK’s leading trailer and vehicle body manufacturers. We will continue to build products which are delivering real efficiency and savings for the industry and we are committed to supporting the comeback of the Northern economy.”