Running the race.

Slow and steady with a clear mission has been the LAG Trailers ethos, and the method appears to be paying off, with big plans on the horizon. On hand at IAA Transportation 2024, LAG Trailers CEO, Rob Ramaekers, talked to Global Trailer about the road to its success.

With a milestone anniversary on the horizon, CEO Rob Ramaekers has made 2027 his deadline to make LAG Trailers’ goals a reality. The Belgian trailer manufacturer, which focuses on the manufacturing of tankers for the transport of liquids and powers, will hit 80-years-old in three years. Today its products are grouped into five categories: fuel trailers, tank trailers, silo trailers, containers and container chassis. “We want to be one of the top three tank and intermodal transport equipment manufacturers in Europe,” Ramaekers said, adding that he would like to see production numbers increase to approximately 3,000 units. LAG’s mission, he said, is to provide reliable, innovative and modular road transport equipment to the European tank and intermodal transport industry, all while ensuring both customer satisfaction and safety are always at the forefront. To achieve its goal, all while adhering to company principles, means LAG is planning on investing in new facilities, some of which are strategically located.

Investment

Ramaekers, who is an engineer by trade and has been with LAG for more than 35 years, has seen the company’s ups and downs first hand and his future goals have a solid plan. “Good trailers are all about being efficient trailers, and you can’t build those without proper factories,” Ramaekers said, referring to the first phase in LAG’s investment plans, which will focus on its current factory in Belgium. “Our factory is now 77 years old and while parts of the buildings are young, we still have some old facilities, so we want to get rid of the old inefficient product facilities”. The upgrade is expected to include new inspection stations, a combined spray and drying hall, six offline assembly stations for custom trailers, an expansion of the solar panel park, as well as a showroom where the team will have the opportunity to communicate directly with their customer. “If you have contact with your customer, you need to be able to show them the product and explain why it will work for them and their needs,” he said.

Another focus will be LAG’s production plant in Poland, which Ramaekers sees as an important asset for a number of reasons. “There are definite advantages to having this Polish plant. The first is because you don’t need to have all the best people in one spot, as it is easier to find them and have them join the company if you are located in two different countries,” he said pointing out that there is a shortage of fitters and welders in Belgium. “And the second advantage, of course, is that in Poland, the wages are lower than Belgium.”

LAG’s portfolio includes a wide range of diverse semi-trailers and intermodal applications for the transport of liquids and powders. While there isn’t a flagship product as such, said Ramaekers, of the five products it does have, the fuel tanker, which is a regional product, is quite popular. LAG also has the highest selling dry bulk container in Europe. “We have an almost perfect split between the five different products,” he said, adding that he is happy with this situation as it leaves the company less vulnerable if there are big market demand shifts.

Article Global Trailer.