Northgate proves a flexible fit for Plantforce

Plantforce says it has achieved significant operational and financial gains through Northgate Vehicle Hire’s flexible vehicle hire offering.

Since working with Northgate, Plantforce has increased its hired fleet from two vehicles to 27, with hired light commercial vehicles (LCVs) now accounting for 68% of the company’s total fleet.

Securing these additional vehicles required no significant cash injection thanks, it says, to Northgate’s flexible and non-contractual offering, which allowed the plant hire company to free up £18,750 to invest into other areas of the business.

It was critical to Plantforce being able to respond to a major contract win with Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station.

Due to the scale of the Hinkley project, significant investment into plant equipment, staff recruitment and training was required, as was investment into a larger fleet of modern, branded vehicles. It was this investment that prompted the company to reassess its vehicle acquisition options.

Andy Kennard, plant manager at Plantforce, said: “Before the huge increase in the scale of our projects, we were able to manage through sourcing vehicles on three year leasing contracts.

“However, we had begun to notice rising MOT, servicing, maintenance and repair costs.

“Once we won the contract to supply plant machinery for the Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station our circumstances changed instantly - there was simply no way the rigid infrastructure we had in place could cope with a project of that scale so it was vital to review alternatives and look for a more flexible option.”   

He continued: “By working with Northgate we have been able to add much needed flexibility to our operations and enjoy the benefits of utilising a modern fleet with no upfront costs or sourcing issues, a full livery service and inclusive servicing, maintenance and repair.

“More importantly, we’ve been able to keep capital within the business, rather than injecting it into a fleet, which would have been unavoidable if we had gone down the purchase route. Leasing would have required £18,750 on deposits alone.”

Josh Ashbee, business development manager at Northgate Vehicle Hire, said: “Our partnership with Plantforce is a great example of how Northgate can work with companies and enable them to concentrate on what’s really important; delivering great customer service and growing their business.”