New 128m assembly plant puts ERFs under one roof
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• by Robin Meczes Production line efficiencies and a more competitively priced end product are among the goals for ERF's new vehicle assembly plant at Middlewich, Cheshire, according to chief executive and chairman John Bryant.
Two former sites have been consolidated to produce the new ECS and ECX ranges as well as the 40-50 lsuzus a week that were formerly assembled at Sandbach. The new assembly line cost .£28m and covers
72,000m2. HRH the Princess Royal recently drove a gas-powered ECX tractor through a ribbon to declare the site officially open.
"This marks the beginning of a new and successful era for our company" says Bryant. "It's many years since the company has been as strong as it is today and this is the first time in 25 years the whole company has been on one site."
He expects "immediate cost and efficiency benefits" compared with the previous set-up,
leading to "a more competitive product" for end users. Bryant readily admits that the move is also about cost avoidance: "If we'd stayed where we were, we'd have needed to put in a new roof, new buildings, new compressors. It was a very tired arrangement."
The other reason for the move is to boost confidence in the brand. It shows we're staying in the market," says Bryant. "You don't spend this kind of money to go away, and with our new MAN parentage customers can be confident that we're a long-term player."
The current production volume is 70 units a week (excluding Isuzus) but this is based on a single shift operation that could easily be extended.
Combined with the new ECS and ECX ranges, Bryant believes the new site will help the company to achieve a minimum 10% market share this year at 15 tonnes and above.
• Vaughan Logistics has taken delivery of 71 new ERFs in a £1.17m investment to replace its entire fleet. The ECS 1141MT 6x2 tractors feature the Cummins 405ISM engine; they are expected to cut Vaughan's fuel bill by E180,000 a year.