About
History
Thetford International’s factory, as pictured above at Rymer Point, Thetford, employs over 50 staff producing a wide range of compaction equipment to suit every need.
Thetford is one of the few UK compactor companies which designs and manufacturers its own products.
The in-house design and manufacture of all equipment, including electrical controls, enables Thetford International to meet market bespoke requirements exactly.
Expanding in compaction
From a small skip and container manufacturer operating out of a 600 square foot industrial starter unit, Thetford International has, in the space of four decades, expanded to become a market leader in the design and manufacture of all types of compaction equipment.
Thetford International today started as Mechanical Products Supply Company Ltd which our present company chairman formed in 1968. The company has grown to become one of the UK’s largest manufacturers of compaction equipment and to meet the demand, expansion in staff levels and factory areas has been a constant requirement.
Exporter
Now employing over 50 staff and occupying a seven acre site of manufacturing space, Thetford International is an experienced exporter.
We export abroad to Europe and other countries outside the European Community, which in recent years has seen a number of our compactors being shipped to India for use in the countries Transfer Station sites in Pune and the surrounding areas. The company’s compactors can even be seen in Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
Vast increases in fuel costs over time has meant that it was no longer feasible to transport bulky materials such as cardboard and paper wastes without them first being compacted. While operators were searching for ways to gain extra payload they also had to face up to the fact that landfill space close to the main areas of waste production was becoming a scarce resource and thus commanding an ever increasing transportation, recycling and disposal costs.
The case for compaction equipment sited at the source of waste generation became essential and from that time compactor manufacture was of increasing importance. This was reflected in 1977 by a change of company name to Thetford International Compactors Ltd.
Production emphasis
The increase of manufacturers entering the skip and container market put added pressure on this traditional source of business. Today, container production has decreased and in order to meet the ever-changing and increasing demands from waste generators, our emphasis is now directed towards the design and manufacture of the finest compaction equipment.
Worldwide Flavour
The name change to Thetford International Compactors Ltd. in 1982 reflects the now worldwide flavor of the business.
Thetford International’s record in compactor manufacture is impressive. Now a market leader in the UK, the design of all units is to be the most powerful available and built to last. Thetford compactors are bought by those who recognise the long term cost effectiveness of high quality products and second to none after sale service. Those who opt for the cheaper alternative have often been found buying from us a few years later when their machine has either failed to perform or has become warn out after only a limited service life.
In-house success
An overwhelming advantage which Thetford believes is one of the main reasons behind their success is that all machinery they sell has been designed and manufactured ‘in-house’ to customers specific requirements.
A more affluent society, purchasing more goods, produces more waste. Adding to this, the increase in packaging of products, the popularity of convenience catering, and the spread of the ‘throwaway’ thinking has also played a huge role in the growth of general waste levels.
This has resulted in a dramatic rise in demand for Thetford International’s products. Thetford Compactors are sold or rented to a cross section of industry including food processers, office sites, supermarkets, shopping centre complexes, hospitals, hotels, prisons, markets, civic amenity sites, sewage treatment plants, print works, MRF’s and transfer stations.
The right product
Our objective is to provide customers with the exact product to match their requirements. The correct specification at the best possible price sells machines, especially when customers have access to a complete design and installation service.
Over the years, all Thetford International products have been revised, updated and developed in order to meet customers’ requirements.
More complex systems
Although much of the business centres around providing compaction equipment which can be placed next to the compaction container equipment, it is becoming increasingly necessary to design more complex systems where the point of waste delivery is remote from the container. Particularly in factories, the container will often be located outside the building while waste is delivered to it – via the compactor – from inside a building.
It is paramount to customers that Thetford designs and builds their own machines, as this involves having the capability to alter them to match individual requirements and to design complete waste handling systems to suit. Companies without that design input lack the flexibility to offer such a service and are therefore unable to provide the exact package required and often come with little back up or after sales support.
Pioneering technology
Customers of Thetford International include many of the major UK waste disposal contractors. The company also pioneered the technology of traversing compactors and now supplies a very large per cent of the traversing compaction systems found on UK civic amenity sites.
Special installations
Some of the most advanced special installations undertaken by Thetford’s has been at several civic amenity in the south east and east of England.
Constant improvement
Thetford International’s success lies in design, manufacture, efficient sales, installation and after sales service. Thetford International are constantly reviewing and improving the product range to give even better value for money without sacrificing the quality of our products.