McCauley Trailers leverages robotics and a strong export strategy to drive success in global markets
Specializing in the design and fabrication of trailers, over the course of its 70-year history McCauley Trailers has dedicated substantial resources to the research and development of innovative products. Working across various industries, today its trailers can be found in agriculture, construction, forestry, waste management, quarrying, transportation, and public utilities. Since starting to export its products in 2002, McCauley Trailers has built an international market presence in over 25 countries, including Finland, Norway, Germany, Australia, the US, France, Belarus, Bulgaria, Iceland, and others.
Caitriona Gribben, Business Development at McCauley Trailers joins Manufacturing Today to give more details on the business. She opens with some history:
“McCauley Trailers was founded in 1955 by Clement McCauley, the original owner. After running the business for 30 years, he retired and handed it over to his apprentice, Owen Kelly, our current Managing Director and Owner. Under Owen’s management we have grown from just two employees to around 80 people as of 2025.”
Workforce numbers are not the only thing that has increased throughout McCauley Trailers’ history. The company’s range of trailers is ever-expanding and now caters to two core sectors, as Caitriona emphasizes. “Initially, we were focused on servicing and repairing agricultural trailers. Over time, we expanded to manufacture our own agricultural trailers, primarily for the markets in Ireland and the UK. In the early 2000s, we began exporting and found that the requirements for our export customers were different, as they sought more commercial trailers for lorries and similar applications. This led us to broaden our product range to include both commercial and agricultural trailers. Today, we offer 50-to-60 product ranges catering to the agricultural and commercial sectors.”
McCauley Trailers achieved type approval accreditations in 2012, a key step that enabled the business to move beyond small, local builds into scalable, compliant production. These accreditations made McCauley trailers legally road-worthy, insurable, and easy to register, opening the door to fleet, commercial, and government customers while reducing liability and regulatory friction. Just as importantly, type approval embedded consistent manufacturing standards that supported long-term growth and cross-border sales; without it, scale and serious buyers would not have been possible.
2025 also saw McCauley Trailers celebrate its 70th anniversary. Reflecting on this milestone, Caitriona explains how the company has managed to achieve such remarkable growth and enduring success over the years. “I believe our ability to react quickly has been crucial to our longevity. Given that we are a family-owned and -run business, we can respond to any crisis or requirement rapidly without too much bureaucracy. For instance, when legislation changed and the pandemic altered the parameters of everything in our industry, it only took a short time for us to adapt our entire build plan and products to serve different sectors. Hence, our agility in adjusting to changing conditions is one of our greatest strengths. Additionally, we are proud of our products and passionate about maintaining their quality. Our brand name is featured on the side of our trailers, and they travel around the world for everyone to see, so ensuring their quality is paramount. As such, we always carry out a strict pre-delivery inspection for every trailer before they leave our factory. Whether the trailer is going just ten minutes away or all the way to Australia or Canada, our quality check procedures remain the same.
“For our 70th anniversary dinner in September, we flew customers in from all over the world. Many of them said a few words about their experience with us and their message was clear: while we may not be the cheapest or the most expensive option, customers return to us time and time again because of our products’ unparalleled quality. In fact, 70 percent of our business comes from existing customers who trust and have faith in us and our product. We achieved this loyal customer base by being stringent when it comes to quality and customer relationships,” she expands. “That focus runs through every trailer McCauley builds, where quality, assurance, and strength are not features, but fundamentals, engineered into each design to ensure reliability, durability, and confidence for customers in the toughest working conditions.”
Constantly striving to provide the best products and services for both existing and new clients, McCauley Trailers has recently invested a total of over £2 million in robotics to advance its top of the range trailers. One of the company’s latest enhancements includes the acquisition of six robotic welders from FANUC as part of a broader initiative that also encompasses new brake presses, plasma cutters, CNC machining, and more. These investments are critical for helping McCauley Trailers continue operating at a high standard in the face of a worldwide skills shortage.
Additionally, the company has begun construction on a new factory within the perimeter of its current location, which will be equipped with high automation using robotic welders. The company is keen to open this new facility and prioritizes reinvesting any revenue and profits it generates back into the business. Furthermore, McCauley Trailers is establishing an automated paint and blast shop to reduce its reliance on highly skilled labor, which has been difficult to find. This new setup not only improves quality but also speeds up production, reduces lead times, enhances quality and allows for the potential operation of robots in the spray booths 24 hours a day.
At present, 95 percent of McCauley Trailers products are exported beyond Ireland to clients all over the globe. Caitriona tells us more about the strategies that have been most effective in reaching international markets. “Around 2003, we noticed that the market in Ireland was becoming increasingly difficult, and many businesses struggled to survive unless they adapted to the changing landscape. As a result, we began exploring opportunities further afield. Scandinavia has been a particularly strong market for us; in one year, 70 percent of our trailer sales went to this region, most notably in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden. These countries have always been strong markets for us, as they have well-developed forestry and construction sectors, which we are very familiar with in Northern Ireland. We understand their business requirements, and they are now accustomed to our quality standards.
“During this period, we also invested in getting Whole Vehicle Type Approval (WVTA), allowing us to export our green commercial products throughout Europe. This is a niche qualification that many other trailer manufacturers do not possess, so it provides us with a competitive advantage in the market. It enables us to export our trailers while ensuring they comply with the legal requirements of the country we are exporting into. All testing is conducted in our facility in Ireland, as we build to strict standards. This approach simplifies the import process for customers, as they can be confident that our products meet all necessary legislative requirements for their respective countries,” she ends.
Caitriona concludes by revealing details about the company’s latest development. “Launching in 2025, the 3 Axle Stepframe Low Loader EU44T has been developed to meet the practical, day-to-day demands of our customers,” she explains. “It is supplied with an extensive specification as standard, including galvanized pull-out outriggers, a galvanized steel neck ramp, ten-stud axles, an advanced EBS braking system with brake chambers, air suspension with a rear lift axle, hydraulic slide ramps, heavy-duty landing legs, eight-ton D-rings, and quick-release air brake connectors. Engineered for strength, reliability, and ease of operation, the EU44T offers a robust, no-compromise solution straight from the factory, with a wide range of optional extras also available to tailor the trailer precisely to customer requirements.”