Running the race: LAG Trailers

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.

Company snapshot

The LAG Group, with its head office in Bree, Belgium, has new construction and service activities spread over three countries and is supported by a team of 450 employees.

The LAG Group has experienced stable growth over the last 10 years, with trailer production figures rising from 1.700 to 2.200 units. This increase has consequently led to a surge in turnover from approximately €80 million to €125 million.

Recent growth – chassis assembly capacity –  is a result of an investment made in 2021 with the  founding of a new assembly plant in the Netherlands, named CIMC Intermodal Equipment NL (CIENL)

LAG Trailers employs 365 people on the site in Belgium. The neighbouring divisions in the Netherlands, LAG Service (Burg Trailer Service) and the assembly entity CIENL (CIMC Intermodal Equipment NL), together employ 45 people. The branches in Poland employ a total of 40 people, working out of locations in Poznan, Jasin and Radzionkow.