Vauxhall vans built by Clarks Vehicle Conversions

A FLEET of Vauxhall vans was built by Clarks Vehicle Conversions to meet the demands of Hanson UK, a leading supplier of heavy building materials to the UK construction industry.

The brief was to create safe and practical tool vans for the vans’ crews. So to raise the safety standards, lockable cages and metal racking were installed in the vans to improve journey safety and heavy locks were installed on the rear and side doors to reduce the risk of theft.

Also installed was a mechanical side step, hand rails, internal lighting and non-slip flooring to prevent trips and falls. Also on the conversion list was an additional drying area for wet clothing, with hand washing facilities, along with first aid and eyewash kits.

The vans were supplied by Pendragon Vehicle Management, a contract hire company which leases vans.

Darren Watret, asset manager, Hanson UK, explained why he had set the brief so high:

“I took new tool vans through Pendragon in 2015 and my considerations at the time were mainly vehicle choice. As vehicles were coming to their renewal point, I wanted to provide not just a vehicle with good manufacture safety standard but also a vehicle that compliments the way the gangs work.

“Pendragon had provided a very high level of service over the years so they were my first choice to deliver the base vehicle.”

“I chose Clarks Vehicle Conversions to deliver the interior. I see Clarks as a customer-focused company. They are an intuitive, informative company with safety at the heart of everything they do. Once I had explained what I wanted to achieve and why, they took the build in the right direction and delivered results that far exceeded my expectations.”

Neal Francis, divisional managing director for Pendragon Vehicle Management, added: “Hanson is a major name in the construction industry and we are delighted to have supplied them with bespoke vehicles that will provide their crew with safety and reliability.

“This project has also demonstrated how adaptable our vehicles are and showcases how the customer can modify them in a way that suits their needs.”