According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new van registrations fell by 3.6% last year.
For CoolKit, growth in the sale of converted vehicles was the main driving factor behind the growth, with 360 vans sold, an increase of 11% over 2016. As a result, revenues exceed £12 million for the first time.
CoolKit managed to secure orders from fleets including AAH Pharmaceuticals, Iceland Foods, Marks & Spencer, Lex Autolease and Vanarama. It also secured accreditations from Toyota, Renault Trucks, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Ford Motor Company, and won the Refrigerated Panel Van of the Year Award at The Temperature Controlled Storage & Distribution (
Rupert Gatty, managing director of CoolKit, said: “Our first fleet order for new ultra-light ibox bodywork provided the user with the benefit of a demonstrable 1,200kg usable payload - a new industry benchmark.”
The relocation to new premises in 2016 trebled the company’s manufacturing operations to 45,000 ft2. In 2017, CoolKit acquired additional neighbouring premises of a further 25,000 ft2 square feet, which facilitates extra capacity and vehicle storage as well as enabling showroom space.