A new light commercial vehicle enhancement service and a new name are part of a drive for business at AutoLogic Holdings.

Formerly known as Walon, it has built a reputation in automotive logistics, distribution and storage, with depots all over the country, but is now taking on the brand of its parent company and using its network and manpower to launch new services.

Its extensive range of light commercial vehicle enhancement services is targeted at manufacturers, dealerships, utility companies and fleet operators.

Anyone who has travelled on the M5 near Bristol will know one of its biggest sites, at Portbury in Bristol.

From the M5, drivers get a birds’ eye view of tens of thousands of cars and vans sitting at the dock.

At its dedicated commercial vehicle enhancement centre on the massive site, the AutoLogic technical services team provides a complete range of services for commercial vehicles.

These range from PDI, valet and registration of vans through to a high level of specific enhancements which can include the addition of internal and roof racking, bulkhead fitment, beacon fitment, security equipment and internal power supply and the application of customer- specific decals.

One key benefit for customers is the location of the business at the docks, which act as a hub for vehicle movement in and out of the UK.

Portbury alone has up to 50,000 vehicles waiting to be moved on at any one time.

From this central location it manages the preparation and enhancement programme for Vauxhall vans for the BT and Royal Mail fleets at its Portbury depots and carries out a similar service for Fiat.

It also converts SUVs into commercial vehicles on behalf of Mitsubishi, Jeep and SsangYong, along with the preparation of Network Rail vans.

In addition, the firm provides a conversion programme for Fiat, fitting tippers, dropsides, luton bodies, box bodies and double-cab conversions.

It also operates a state-of-the-art parts ordering website.

Once equipped and inspected to the customer’s required specification, the vehicles can be delivered either in bulk or individually to a dealership or directly to the end customer.

Richard Ingham, business development manager at AutoLogic, said: “We are trying to create a one-stop-shop that can also give advice to manufacturers and dealers.”

A key benefit the operation can bring is slashing the time it takes to get a fully-prepared van delivered, from six weeks using traditional routes to as little as two to three days.

Mr Ingham said: “Many manufacturers claim to offer a ‘one-stop-shop’ but in real terms very few are.

A vehicle will normally have to be transported to an approved converter where it will be factored into their production.

“This not only increases the logistics costs but also has a detrimental effect on the carbon footprint of the supply chain.

"By fitting conversion at the source point, it reduces these affects.

“Sending vehicles to a converter increases the lead time when the customer can expect his vehicle – up to six weeks in some cases.

"With our stock at source, these lead times can be dramatically reduced and will normally only add on a few extra days.”

Intensive training programmes ensure that only qualified staff are allowed to work on vehicles, particularly because when work is carried out for manufacturers, their reputation could be based on an AutoLogic installation.

A detailed record of training is kept, Mr Ingham points out, with regular assessments of skill levels aimed at ensuring the highest level of compliance.

AutoLogic also has close ties with most major conversion suppliers to ensure staff are trained to fit a wide range of items.

This expertise, combined with dedicated account management, also means that the company can look at specification and may be able to suggest a better alternative in some cases.

Its engineers may also be able to think of solutions that speed up the vehicle preparation process.

The business is being built up since its launch last year, but Mr Ingham suggests that it will see growth in demand, particularly with market changes from the introduction of ‘Vehicle Type Approval’ for the bodybuilding sector over the next couple of years.

Small providers may not be able to meet the tough and costly testing requirements that type approval will bring, something a large scale supplier such as AutoLogic can cope with.

But the size of AutoLogic’s operation and its focus on account management also mean that its services aren’t open to fleets that may only have a single van to convert.

Mr Ingham said: “We deal with manufacturers, big fleets, rental companies and so on, but we aren’t set up for the public.

"If you are doing 10 vans in one go that is not a problem but we wouldn’t consider one van every 10 months.”

Future plans are already being drawn up to make the most of the strengths of the business, including helping extend the life of conversions for fleets by moving them to new vehicles at remarketing time.

Mr Ingham added: “It is early days, but we are looking to grow this business with tailored solutions.”