The exclusive distributor for Volvo Construction Equipment across GB invest significantly into ensuring engineers have the best equipment to carry out their work.
SMT GB have appointed Northgate Vehicle Hire in a four-year agreement to provide and maintain 150 customised Mercedes Sprinter repair vans which were unveiled at Hillhead 2018 and proved popular among visitors to the stand.
Northgate is replacing SMT GB’s existing fleet of vans progressively over two years and is working with specialist suppliers Tevo and Gardner Denver to customize interiors to meet engineers’ needs. Each van includes on-board power generation, compressors, jump-start equipment, welding machines, Wi-Fi for diagnostics machines, bespoke racking, customised interior and exterior lighting, washbasins with hot and cold water, a kettle and safety features, including first aid kits and safety eyewash.
This significant investment aims to improve the welfare of engineers and better support them in carrying out their role – ultimately maximising the uptime of Volvo Construction Equipment.
Nathan Upchurch, Service Solutions Manager at SMT GB, says, “The success of SMT GB is based on the highest quality maintenance and servicing. To remain the industry leaders in customer support, we have to support our engineers with the correct equipment and tools to do the job. The new vans are very much appreciated by our engineers, with increased driver satisfaction and comfort, and will also assist with the recruitment of new engineers in a highly competitive market. The investment in this area of the business certainly sends a clear signal that our engineers are very important to us.”
Keith Shorter, New Business Manager at Northgate, adds, “With customers of all sizes across the construction supply chain, Northgate understand the importance of reducing the downtime of business-critical machinery. We are delighted to be the only company which could deliver a solution to a complex brief from SMT GB. We are proud to have delivered a service that benefits SMT GB, and ultimately, hundreds of construction projects across Great Britain.”
SMT GB markets Volvo Construction Equipment products which include wheeled loaders, articulated haulers, hydraulic excavators, Volvo utility equipment and Volvo road equipment products in Great Britain. There are eight strategically placed customer support centres, a dedicated National Used Equipment Centre and a network of utility equipment dealers to ensure high quality customer support is maintained throughout the country.
Northgate Vehicle Hire is the largest provider of light commercial vans in the UK, Spain and Ireland, with revenues of over £700 million. They specialise in providing flexible rentals on a range of vans including Ford, Mercedes, and Peugeot. They offer full service and maintenance via a network of 58 in-branch workshops, together with AA breakdown, support and recovery.
