British Steel in £1.4m investment

MANUFACTURER BRITISH Steel is to invest £1.4m in a new fleet of vehicles to support its UK distribution network.

The investment will see 11 new tractor units and seven new rigid vehicles delivered into its fleet.

Company bosses say these new vehicles will improve the ability of its metal centres to supply a wide-range of constructional steel products and services to businesses of all sizes, from major developers to local housebuilders.

The fleet, which will be delivered in the Spring, is being supplied to British Steel through the Thomas’s Group, a family-run commercial vehicle business based in Birmingham. And the vehicles, which will serve customers across the South East, Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber regions, are being supplied by DAF Trucks Ltd.

The investment was described by bosses as “significant” and as a move which will allow them to provide far better levels of customer service.

British Steel’s Construction business is served by a network of metal and service centres across the UK and Ireland, located in Scunthorpe, Redcar, Dartford, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Stoke, Devon, Cheadle, Newport, Edinburgh, Dublin, Dundee and Lisburn.

Richard Farnsworth, British Steel Construction’s managing director, said: “This is a significant investment in our future which will enable us to provide an even better service to our customers throughout the UK.

“Our regional metal centres provide customers with a quick and convenient way of buying a wide range of steel products and a first-class fleet is central to our strategy of becoming the supplier of choice to this country’s construction industry.

“The vehicles, coupled with our extensive stock range, will enable us to meet customer needs with next-day delivery in the immediate area while customers can also still make their own collections.”

Malcolm Robbins, British Steel Construction’s logistics manager distribution UK, said: “We’re committed to improving our service to current and new customers across the network and this investment will play a significant role in helping us achieve this.

“We recently visited Leyland Trucks in Lancashire to see one of our liveried DAF vehicles on the production line and it’s exciting to know the new fleet will soon be delivering our steel products across the country.

“I’d like to thank the Thomas’s Group and DAF Trucks Ltd for their expertise and support and we look forward to delivering an even better service in the new year.”

Jason Horobin, Thomas’s Group managing director, said: “We are immensely proud to be associated with such an iconic British name within the steel industry and look forward to working very closely together for many years to come.”

Phil Moon, marketing manager, DAF Trucks Ltd, said: “DAF Trucks is honoured to be supplying vehicles to British Steel to work in their operation.

“To have some of the team from British Steel visit Leyland Trucks to see the new vehicles in production was great for both parties.

“We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship.”

This is a significant investment in our future.

Richard Farnsworth, British Steel Construction’s managing director