Fraikin has opened its largest branch yet – a £1 million-plus facility in Coventry to support contract hire, fleet management and rental customers.
The 15,000 sq ft workshop is now open 24/7 and looking after more than 1,000 assets. Fraikin has also installed a water recycling plant on-site, which allows it to operate a truck-wash facility almost entirely from recycled water.
Fraikin CEO Peter Backhouse points to the site's new on-site conference facilities, which will serve as an additional location for the company's Driver CPC training programme.
The site opening follows the relocation of City Link's hub from Wednesbury, where Fraikin previously operated a workshop servicing 400 trucks and trailers supplied on contract hire to the express parcels carrier – one of Fraikin's largest customers.
The new facility takes over responsibility for the City Link trunking fleet, amd Fraikin also plans to merge its Tamworth branch into the Coventry facility during the autumn – adding another 400 commercial vehicles.
Backhouse says the sheer size of the Coventry site will also enable Fraikin to take direct responsibility of a further 200 assets based in the region, previously maintained by third-party repairers.
"This investment represents a major enhancement to our network and affords us one of the most modern commercial vehicle workshops in the Midlands," says Backhouse.
"Selecting Coventry was a strategic move, as it is close to the new City Link hub and – together with our existing Midlands-based branch in Oldbury – means we can provide comprehensive support to fleets across the region," he adds.
