Fabrifen supplier and installer of steel and timber products, has made significant savings across its business after turning to Northgate for all-inclusive flexible vehicle hire
Based in the North West with offices in Widnes and Salford, Fabrifen has experienced rapid growth, which has resulted in its customer base and service requirements expanding. The company previously owned its vehicles outright, but the ageing fleet brought about a number of problems, including an increased requirement for service, maintenance and repair (SMR), and a reduction in reliability. As such, it turned to Northgate to provide a more flexible and reliable vehicle offering.
Fabrifen has been able to save more than £6,000 a year thanks to the reduction in maintenance, acquisition and administration costs brought about by Northgate’s all-inclusive package. A key requirement for Fabrifen’s expanding business is the ability to meet varying client demands, which vary based on season and often touch every point of the manufacture, supply and installation journey, requiring consistent customer service.
The company’s growing customer base also means that team members in the field need to be supported across a larger geographical area. Northgate has 8 branches in the North West and a further 69 located across the UK, ensuring that Fabrifen can be supplied with vehicles of varying sizes on both a regional and national basis within a short timeframe.
Tracey Morris, business development manager at Northgate, said: “We aim to supply customers with a vehicle fitting their requirements within 4 hours of it being ordered, providing they are within 25 miles of a branch. For Fabrifen, this means being able to provide customers with a continuous, one-stop solution, which we also endeavour to provide with our own services.”
Tracey added: “Purchasing new vehicles would require large capital outlay, which was completely avoided with Northgate as no upfront deposits were required to access new vehicles.” As well as SMR costs, a major issue with an ageing fleet is the propensity for the vehicles to break down, causing disruption to the supply chain and harming customer service.
Through its partnership with the AA, Northgate provides customers with a fully inclusive breakdown service, with a replacement vehicle being provided if a vehicle needs to be recovered, and a target of less than 2.5 hours of downtime. Fabrifen has been able to save over £6,000 a year through Northgate’s flexible service, with savings made across vehicle acquisition, fuel consumption and maintenance.
Tony Ross, managing director of Fabrifen, said: “During our shutdown period over Christmas, Fabrifen saves approximately £1,925 thanks to the flexibility of being able to off-hire vehicles without penalty. Replacing our ageing vehicles with new ones has improved fuel consumption by 10%, which equates to more than £350 per month.” Tony added: “Northgate’s SMR package has reduced maintenance bills and its widespread branch network has helped us to access vehicles quickly when new contracts are won on a more national level.”
Northgate’s flexible arrangement has allowed Fabrifen to change the type of vehicles it uses to transport people and materials more efficiently. This has resulted in cash flow savings and customer service improvements, which have all impacted the bottom line and enabled the company to focus on delivering the best possible service across its client network. Northgate has sites across 77 locations in the UK and Ireland, with its head office in Darlington. For further information please visit http://www.northgatevehiclehire.co.uk
