What PPG Fabrications does

PPG Fabrications is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of commercial vehicle tipping bodies and trailers, founded in 1989 and operating as part of the Weightlifter Group alongside sister company Weightlifter Bodies Ltd. The company is headquartered in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, with an additional manufacturing facility in Scunthorpe, and employs between 51 and 100 staff. Its product range includes rigid tipping bodies, tipping trailers, the proprietary Smoothline asphalt tipping body (designed with reduced loading height, lower noise during tipping, and an anti-ejection safety door for asphalt applications), horizontal discharge systems, and a parts/repair service. PPG serves fleet operators across multiple UK end-markets, including aggregate and construction haulage, asphalt distribution, local authority fleets, and general haulage, with sales quoted on a bespoke specification basis.

Name

PPG Fabrications

Legal name

P.P.G. Fabrications Limited

Website

https://ppg-fabrications.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

PPG Fabrications is a UK specialist manufacturer of commercial tipping bodies, trailers, and horizontal discharge systems, serving fleet operators in aggregate, asphalt, local authority, and general haulage sectors from facilities in Wisbech and Scunthorpe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wisbech

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tipping Bodies and Trailers: One-time sale of manufactured tipping bodies (rigid and trailers) including Fixed Side Monocoque, Steel Rigid Tippers, Dropsides, Lightweight Aggregate, Smoothline, Bulk Bodies, Aggregate Tipping Trailers, and Bulk Tipping Trailers. Products are Stage 2 Whole Vehicle Type Approved.
2. Horizontal Discharge Systems: Sale of walking floor trailers and ejector systems for non-tipping horizontal discharge applications, targeting construction industry for loads including asphalt, sand, dust and gravel.
3. Parts & Spares: Genuine high quality components and materials for braking, steering, suspension, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatics from trusted manufacturer partners. Available over the counter or next day delivery, with online ordering via sister company Weightlifter Bodies shop.
4. Repair & Refurbishment Services: Complete repair and refurbishment service for bodies and chassis from strategically placed depots in Scunthorpe and Wisbech, with further backup from network of approved repair agents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PPG Fabrications manufactures and supplies heavy-duty tipping bodies (rigid bodies and tipping trailers) plus horizontal discharge systems for commercial vehicle operators in the construction, aggregate, asphalt, and general haulage sectors. The portfolio includes Fixed Side Monocoque, Steel Rigid Tippers, Dropsides, Lightweight Aggregate, Smoothline (asphalt bodies), Bulk Bodies, Aggregate Tipping Trailers, Bulk Tipping Trailers, and Walking Floor/Ejector systems. The company also sells genuine parts and spares and provides repair and refurbishment services from depots in Wisbech and Scunthorpe.

Product overview

PPG Fabrications is a UK-based manufacturer of tipping bodies and trailers, operating as part of the Weightlifter Group with 85 years of experience. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio of rigid bodies (Fixed Side Monocoque, Steel Rigid Tippers, Dropsides & Local Authority Tippers, Lightweight Aggregate, Smoothline, and Bulk Bodies) and tipping trailers (Aggregate Tipping Trailers, Bulk Tipping Trailers, Walking Floor, and Horizontal Discharge Ejector). All products are Stage 2 Whole Vehicle Type Approved. The portfolio includes the premium Smoothline for asphalt work, lightweight aluminium aggregate bodies, and heavy-duty steel tippers. PPG also provides parts & spares and repair & refurbishment services through depots in Wisbech and Scunthorpe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fixed Side Monocoque Aluminium monocoque rigid body available from reduced-capacity heavy-duty muckaway specifications through to high-volume bulkers, with a plank-side option for maximum capacity. Targeted at construction and aggregate haulage customers.
• Steel Rigid Tippers Medium and heavy-duty steel rigid bodies for general-purpose and muck-away applications, manufactured by sister company Weightlifter Bodies and offered through PPG Fabrications.
• Dropsides & Local Authority Tippers Dropside tipper bodies designed for local authority use and general dropside applications, providing reliable, compliant tipping solutions for municipal fleets and general dropside operators.
• Lightweight Aggregate Aluminium rigid bodies designed for carriage of sand and aggregates, with options for manual or air-operated tailgates to optimise payload and discharge efficiency.
• Smoothline The UK's premier body for asphalt work, featuring air-insulated tar hatches with external positioning, a horizontally split tailgate with hidden bottom locking bar behind a sloping back plate, heavy-duty ram-powered tailgates, and a two-part safety system preventing unintended tailgate opening. Targeted at specialist asphalt haulage operators.
• Bulk Bodies Aluminium bulk bodies in fixed-side monocoque or plank construction, built to required capacity and specification for loads ranging from grain to scrap metal, with high-tensile pressed-steel options available.
• Aggregate Tipping Trailers Full range of aggregate tipping trailers for carriage of sand and aggregates, available with half-barrel, plank, or fixed-side monocoque bodies, and with insulation and air-operated tailgates suited for asphalt use.
• Bulk Tipping Trailers Extensive range of bulk tipping trailers in straight, step, and sloper derivatives, held in stock or built to order through sister company Weightlifter Bodies Ltd.
• Walking Floor (Horizontal Discharge) Non-tipping walking-floor trailer with Keith V9 walking floor system for durability and quick clean discharge, featuring air-insulated alloy plank sides with Hardox 450 lining and an air-operated underrun bar that lowers automatically at 16kph. Targeted at construction-industry bulk material operators.
• Horizontal Discharge Ejector Ejector-type horizontal discharge trailer for material unloading without tipping, supplied as part of the horizontal discharge product range for bulk material handling customers.
• Parts & Spares Genuine high-quality components and materials covering braking, steering, suspension, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatics from trusted manufacturer partners. Available over the counter at depots or with next-day delivery, with online ordering via the sister company Weightlifter Bodies shop.
• Repairs & Refurbishment Complete repair and refurbishment service for bodies and chassis delivered from strategically placed depots in Scunthorpe and Wisbech, with further backup from a network of approved repair agents across the UK.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Weightlifter Bodies LtdcoreOthersWeightlifter Bodies Ltd is the sister company and trading as PPG Fabrications (T/A). Both companies share manufacturing facilities at Wisbech and Scunthorpe, offering complementary ranges of tipping semi-trailers, rigid bodies and walking floors. Weightlifter provides steel body products while PPG specialises in aluminium alloy insulated tippers. Parts operations cross-reference each company with PPG parts available via Weightlifter online shop.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bulk-Tec Trailers Ltd: Specialist UK manufacturer of tipping and ejector trailers, including walking floor systems, focused on construction and aggregate haulage. Overlaps with PPG's Walking Floor / horizontal discharge business.
• Dennison Trailers Ltd: Northern Ireland/UK manufacturer of tipping, platform, curtain-sided and specialist trailers with an extensive dropside and tipper range. Closest direct head-to-head competitor to PPG's rigid bodies and tipping trailers for UK fleets.
• Weightlifter Bodies Ltd: Sister company under the Weightlifter Group, manufacturing steel tipping semi-trailers and rigid bodies from the same Wisbech and Scunthorpe facilities, and running the shared parts shop. Direct operational twin to PPG's aluminium/insulated tipping business.
• J&J Farlow International Lift & Minireach Trailers: UK manufacturer of tipper and dump trailers, lifts and specialist trailers, plus repairs and refurbishment services. Comparable multi-stream model (manufacturing + service) to PPG/Weightlifter.
• Cartwright Group: Major UK commercial vehicle body and trailer builder (dropsides, tippers, box vans, refuse bodies) with a strong service network. Comparable in product mix and customer base to PPG/Weightlifter but at significantly larger scale.
• SDC Trailers: UK/Ireland-based trailer manufacturer producing tipping, platform, curtain-sided and specialist trailers. Targets the same construction and bulk haulage fleets as PPG Fabrications.
• Tiger Trailers: UK manufacturer of bespoke and volume tipping trailers plus drawbar, platform and specialist trailers. Direct overlap with PPG's aggregate and bulk tipping trailer product lines.
• Montracon Ltd: One of the UK's largest trailer manufacturers producing tipping, platform, container, refrigerated and box trailers, plus a service network. Competes directly with Weightlifter/PPG for fleet tipping trailer orders.

Broad incumbents

• Heil Trailer International: Global manufacturer of dump/tipper, refuse and transport trailers with broad product portfolio and aftermarket network. Adjacent incumbent competing for aggregate and construction haulage trailer business referenced in PPG's customer base.
• Schmitz Cargobull: Large European trailer OEM with broad semi-trailer portfolio including tippers and a pan-European service network. Not a direct UK tipping body specialist but competes for large UK fleet tipping trailer tenders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ppgfabrications
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/p.p.g.-fabrications-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PPG Fabrications