Trailer firm clinches €5m export deal

A Co Tyrone company today stood the economic gloom on its head and celebrated clinching the biggest deal in its 25-year history.

Under a €5m deal – which will net them almost £4.4m at current exchange rates – Dungannon-based Chieftain Trailers is to supply 100 trailers for agricultural and commercial use in eastern Europe.

The company designs and manufactures a range of trailers, low-loaders, bowsers and forklift machinery for various sectors.

The contract was announced during a visit by Invest Northern Ireland chief executive Leslie Morrison who offered his congratulations.

He said: “This major export contract for Chieftain is a result of the company’s commitment to innovation in both new product development and manufacturing methods.”

It had enabled the company to carve out lucrative commercial opportunities for itself and seize upon them while also maximising achievable profit margins, he said.

Mr Morrison added: “This kind of deal will help the Northern Ireland economy to overcome the challenges of the current business climate.

“Chieftain has shown that, despite the economic downturn and the continued effects of the credit crunch, significant opportunities still exist for local companies that differentiate their offering from those of competitors.”

Managing director John Quinn said: “This contract represents a major step forward for Chieftain as we continue to build our export turnover.

“Invest Northern Ireland has supported us to improve efficiency through staff training and to develop our overall capability, and it is a tribute to our dedicated and highly skilled workforce that we have secured this key business.

“We are now well placed to use this order as a springboard for future growth.”