Walsall barrow boys hit £10m target

An historic wheelbarrow maker today revealed it is on track to hit a £10 million turnover this year.

The Walsall Wheelbarrow Company was started by entrepreneur Fred Thacker who invented the first steel wheelbarrow.

His son Leslie took up the reins of the business and now Fred's grandsons have helped to consolidate the success of the company. It now employs 65 staff who make up to 3,000 wheelbarrows a day.

The firm, which supplies agriculture, building and gardening outlets, recently commissioned a new automated production machine to manufacture wheelbarrow frames at its plant in Wednesfield. Bosses say it will allow the firm to compete with products being imported from the far east.

As a result the company will launch a new range later this year and is looking to bring all employees on to a bigger site.

Sales director Simon Thacker said: "We want to manufacture and employ from the local area, selling British-made products."

The business, started almost 70 years ago, is one of the biggest wheelbarrow manufacturers in the UK.