Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Independent, family-owned builders merchant Beesley & Fildes has continued to boost its environmental sustainability strategy, with a £7m investment in a new fleet of vehicles.
The company has purchased a total of 21 DAF trucks from Motus Commercials. All have been designed to lower emissions and comply with the Government’s legal requirement to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels on local roads by 2026. The trucks include the DAF 26-tonne CF and 19-tonne LF specifications, which are used to deliver building materials across the North West from the merchant’s 11 branches.
Beesley & Fildes has also invested in two electric cars as well as six hybrid models replacing older petrol vehicles for sales representatives and managers who need to travel regularly.
James Beesley, commercial director at Beesley & Fildes, says: “Changing to cleaner vehicles is essential to reduce dangerously high levels of air pollution and respond to new government policies. By upgrading our entire fleet, we can begin to lower our environmental impact when distributing our products, aligning with the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan. The high-specification trucks also maximise fuel efficiency and ensure our drivers benefit from increased comfort and safety.
“Our new electric and hybrid cars are the first to be provided to our senior team members upgrading older, inefficient vehicles. Following ongoing investment into the infrastructure required to charge these new cars at our branches, we are aiming to steadily introduce more electric models into our fleet in the years ahead.”
Earlier this year, the merchant installed 600 solar panels at its Widnes depot which are on track to save 49 tonnes of CO2 every year – the equivalent to 9,378 trees and more than 1,000 long-haul flights.
The solar solution follows the construction of a £500,000 biomass plant in 2017.
