A HEREFORDSHIRE company is celebrating its 50th anniversary and has a new management team to drive the business forward.

ABT Loadmac, based in Ross-on-Wye's Ashburton Industrial Estate, started life in 1971 as a livestock feeding equipment manufactuer, but has come a long way since.

The company said it then became one the UK's leading manufacturers of cabs, chassis, and safety structures.

And it said, by its 50th anniversary at the end of 2021, it had evolved again to make Loadmac, the only British-made truck-mounted forklift, at its Ross-on-Wye base.

"The company has gone from strength to strength, achieving record sales over the past few years, selling worldwide, with their largest markets being the US, Australia and Canada," a spokesperson said.

"2022 is looking to beat all previous sales targets, an exciting challenge for the new management team."

Tim Morris, Managing Director, said: “In these difficult trading times, it is vital for a company to have strong experienced management driving the business forward, and I am very proud of the team of people we have in place to achieve such unprecedented demand for our product."