Heavy-haul trailer manufacturer Talbert Manufacturing recently hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating a 58,000-square-foot expansion of its Liberty NC facility.
Now encompassing 120,000 square feet, the Liberty Trailers location will manufacture Talbert’s Tag-A-Long, Traveling Axle and Hydraulic Tail series trailers. Talbert said the expansion helps it increase dealer and customer support across North America with increased production capabilities and a staff of 60 associates.
“In 1938, Austin Talbert set out to change the heavy-haul industry,” Andrew Tanner, president of Talbert Manufacturing, said during the ceremony. “With the expansion of Liberty Trailers, Talbert Manufacturing is closer than ever to realizing his vision of customer-driven design that meets the ever-changing needs of the hauling industry. We’re able to double our current output, allowing us meet the needs of our Tag-A-Long customers and dealers across the US and Canada, so we can continue growing together.”
The Liberty facility originally was home to Ferree Trailers, which Talbert purchased in 2014. With the acquisition, Talbert continued producing select Ferree products and moved production of its Tag-A-Long, Traveling Axle and Hydraulic Tail trailers from its Indiana facility to Liberty. As the OEM grew, so did demand for the trailers produced in Liberty. So Talbert began expanding the building and staff last year as part of its overall growth plan.
The newly expanded facility houses two state-of-the-art painting booths, overhead cranes and a large finishing area, Talbert said. The company also designed equipment and staging areas for better flow throughout production.
“When we purchased the facility in 2014, we had 18 employees and a modern facility to allow for the type of growth we needed,” Tanner said. “Today we have 60 employees at Liberty and are looking to staff well over 100 long-term. Talbert has been able to remain on the cutting edge of heavy-haul innovations for more than 80 years because we understand the value of investing in our people as much as our products.
“The Liberty expansion is an investment not just in Talbert, but in our dealers and customers.”