A CULM Valley firm is creating new jobs and investing £500,000 after sealing a major deal with an iconic trailer maker.

C&O Trailers, which was founded in 1994, has become an official distributor for the world-renowned Ifor Williams Trailers, supplying its full range from its site near Uffculme.

It marks a significant expansion for the C&O Group, which already sells agricultural, construction, and garden machinery across much of the Westcountry and beyond.

C&O brand manager Matt Hellyer said: “Ifor Williams is the only trailer manufacturer we would consider linking up with because in the trailer world, Ifor Williams are the best at it.

“We were really keen, so it has all worked out really well.

“We are in a great location for what we do because we are literally two or three minutes from the M5, the main road artery in the region.”

The Ifor Williams Trailers distributorship employs about 70 people across its six sites and Mr Hellyer said C&O had taken on two more staff and was looking at a third.

Mr Hellyer said: “We have taken a service engineer on, a marketing assistant, and are looking to take on a parts and aftersales assistant, so we are nearly doubling our staff here.

“We have about 80 trailers here, it is a fair sized set-up and it has seen us extending the outside space.

“It is about a £500,000 investment, so it is a big commitment and investment in terms of personnel and financially but it is for the long-term and for future growth of the business.

“We have the whole range of Ifor Williams products here, box vans, horse boxes, tipper trailers, plant trailers, car transporters, general duty trailers, the lot.

“We only use Ifor Williams genuine parts, I will not do anything else because I have always been a firm believer whether it is tractors to trailers, it should always be genuine parts.”

Ifor Williams Trailers commercial operations head Dave Robinson said: “C&O has a fantastic reputation for terrific customer service and for providing quality products, so they are a perfect fit for Ifor Williams Trailers.

“We pride ourselves on the products we make and the customer service we provide and I know C&O share that same ethos of excellence.”

C&O, which has operated from Uffculme since 2022, moved into purpose-built premises in 2024 and now has a large enough workshop to accommodate both tractor and fully-operational trailer workshops.

Mr Hellyer said: “Ifor Williams has a huge market share in the trailer industry and are such a trusted expert in this field offering good customer service and good quality products.

“We add to that our good customer relationships, we like to look after customers, like to support them.

“The distributor deal brings our business into a different dimension because we are not just selling tractors, we are opening up a different customer base.

“So, for us, it is brilliant.

“We have the skills to sell trailers and back them up, and we have the best product.”