More than 350 people attended the dinner, where the audience heard from founder Seamus McCloy, chief executive Enda Cushnahan, and special guest A P McCoy, former champion jockey.
Welder and fabricator McCloy established the company in a small shed, and the bespoke semi-trailer builder now employs almost 1,000 people across four UK manufacturing plants.
Cushnahan told guests: “I have been with the company for half of those 40 years and it is privilege to now serve as its chief executive officer. I see my role as building on the legacy of our founder Seamus McCloy and taking the company forward into another 40 years of success.”
Around 40% of SDC’s output leaves the factory with a body fitted, and the trailer range features over 500 variants from curtainsiders and boxvans, to skeletal, platform and urban trailers, all of which are made to order.
Earlier this year, SDC completed a £7m expansion to its manufacturing headquarters in Toomebridge, creating 50 new jobs. The expansion has led to a 50% increase per week in trailer output.
The company also recently opened two new training facilities at the Toomebridge site: a piping and wiring training centre, and a welding centre with eight welding bays equipped with cutting, extraction, burning, clamping, measuring and demonstration equipment.