INDEPENDENT truck and van repairer Sapphire Vehicle Services has doubled its offering to operators, with the opening of the second in a national network of all-makes workshops.

Sapphire has converted its former vehicle maintenance unit in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, into a service depot and it joins the company’s workshop in Tamworth, Staffordshire, which opened for business in June, and marks the next step in an aggressive push for more business – other facilities are already under development and due to open soon.

Sapphire Vehicle Services is already a familiar name to many of the UK’s leading transport operators, looking after the fleets of some of the best-known names in the supermarket sector. The company maintains upwards of 28,000 trucks and vans for its clients, in dedicated Vehicle Maintenance Units across the country.

The Hatfield site’s four-bay workshop is equipped with pits, lifts and a brake roller-tester, while the building also houses a parts store, offices, and comfortable driver waiting area.

With a staff of 12 qualified technicians, led by Manager Paul Howgego and supported by Workshop Controller Lewis Simmonds and Senior Compliance Administrator Victoria Bateman, the facility is open for business 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year.

The team also includes one apprentice technician, and there’s a vacancy for a second. Sapphire apprentices benefit from a structured two-year training programme, with mentoring support throughout, leading to a nationally recognised qualification and the opportunity to embark on a rewarding career with prospects for ongoing development.

Howgego said: “We’ve invested a huge amount in setting up this site,” says Paul Howgego. “The building has been fully refurbished and is now kitted out with diagnostic equipment and tooling for all leading vehicle brands. We carry a stock of genuine OEM parts, and both the workshop and our fully equipped mobile roadside assistance van operate around the clock. We also have a dedicated driver whose job is to collect vehicles from customers, and deliver them back as soon as they’re finished, to help keep downtime and inconvenience to an absolute minimum.”