Westons Bevan-built curtainsider hits em for six
26th August 2015
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An Ashes tour is always guaranteed to whet the appetite and an eye-catching Bevan-bodied curtainsider in the new livery of Stowford Press, sponsor of the triumphant England team, has been helping to quench the thirst of cricket fans this memorable summer.
The 18-tonne MAN TGM is based at the Much Marcle, Herefordshire, headquarters of Stowford Press brand owner, Westons Cider. Its smooth-sided, buckleless body was built at the Halesowen, West Midlands, headquarters of Bevan Group, an established supplier to many of the biggest names in the UK drinks industry.
As well as enhancing the vehicles appearance, this body is ideally suited to multi-drop applications because internal clips allow the load bed to be more quickly accessed than is possible with a conventional, buckled curtainsider.
The vehicle is also Westons Ciders first to be fitted with a new, roof-retractable load retention system developed by Simark Engineering, of Rowley Regis. Compatible with the latest DVSA health and safety standards, this allows the operative to pull the retaining net down and over the product, then tension it, from ground level, without having to climb onto the back of the truck.
Westons Cider produces over 30 different ciders and perries, which it relies on a fleet of 20 trucks 18- and 26-tonne rigids with bodies by Bevan, and 44-tonne tractor units to distribute nationwide.
The new 18-tonner represents an extension to the fleet, reflecting the popularity of the operators product range. It carries palletised kegs and bottles, and is assigned to delivery runs that allow it to return to base each day.
Operations Director David Griffiths says: Were not a company that swops suppliers for the sake of it. So as long as we get good service, which we always do from Bevan, well remain loyal to those with whom we do business.
I have known and worked with Bevans drinks industry specialist Martyn Reeves for more than 20 years and his companys design standards and build quality are first class, as are the turnaround times and after sales support.
Our Bevan-bodied vehicles also look great, and particularly the new one. It serves as a great mobile advertisement for our best-known brand and has already attracted a lot of positive feedback from customers and others whove seen it on the road.
Stowford Press has been The Official Cider of England Cricket since 2012. Managing Director Helen Thomas said when the appointment was announced: The Westons Cider ethos centres on tradition, quality and heritage, and with cricket being deeply rooted in Englands sporting history, we feel the association sits perfectly.
The company can trace its roots back to 1878 when Henry Weston, the great-grandfather of Helen Thomas, started making cider and perry from fruit grown in local orchards commercial production began a couple of years later. Today, the company employs more than 200 people and selling some 46 million pints a year.