Gray & Adams News SUMMER 2020
In This Issue > For Queen and Country > P RM chooses Gray & Adams for 30th Anniversary trailers > Interview with Sam de Beaux
ISSUE 11 | SUMMER 2020
Contents
Introduction
Contents 2
The last few months have been an unprecedented time for the industry, our customers and our team as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Introduction 3 For Queen and Country
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The keys to our success: Outstanding contributions from our team during Covid-19
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Driving positivity
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Bidfood NL delivers for The Dutch Food Bank
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Coping with Covid: Creating a safe working environment during the Covid-19 crisis
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Interview with Sam de Beaux: A legacy of engineering excellence
12 – 14
Staff spotlight: Murray Littlejohn
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PRM chooses Gray & Adams for 30th Anniversary trailers
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Supplier spotlight: UPM
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A narrow escape: Terry Flood
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Built from scratch in 48 years: Alex Ritchie
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25 years of service: Three Colins
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During this time, there have been many exceptional circumstances to work with. We have always focused on our people and shown resilience as a team during uncertain times - working together to overcome these challenges, with the commitment and ethos we are renowned for. As a result, we would like to dedicate this edition of our newsletter to celebrate the achievements of our team, sharing more of our people’s stories and successes throughout this time. From our ‘Outstanding contributions’ article (pg. 7) to the team efforts to rebuild our Health & Safety practices and ways of working (pg.11), interviews with some of our long serving team (pg. 18, 19 and 20) and our regular Staff Spotlight feature (pg.15), we’re proud to shine a light on our staff stories. Additionally, we are pleased to reveal an interview we did with Global Trailer, which offers an in-depth look at our history, our recent Queen’s Award win and our collective success as a business (pg 4).
As our customer commitment remains a key focus, we have asked some of our customers to share stories about their own positive activities throughout this time. We are pleased to be able to share Bidfood NL’s admirable work with the Dutch Food Bank (pg.10) and also to feature Co-op, James Hall SPAR and Castell Howell’s considerable efforts to drive positivity throughout this challenging time (pg. 8). In this edition, we are honoured to feature an interview with recently retired industry leader, Sam de Beaux (pg.12). Industry collaboration and learning from the expertise of others is important for the success of our sector. His story and the considerable insight and experienced expressed in this interview is hugely valuable and we are delighted to share it with you. We are a family business, first and foremost. With the current challenges surrounding COVID-19, our people and their safety remain of utmost importance and all business decisions will continue to be driven with this in mind. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our teams, customers, partners and suppliers for their continued support during these challenging times.
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Our people work incredibly hard and their dedication to staying innovative and always looking for a better way is integral to the considerable success and growth we have achieved together. We would like to thank each and every one of our team for their unwavering commitment to Gray & Adams, and to our customers. Please continue to take care of each other and stay safe.
JAMES AND PETER GRAY JOINT MANAGING DIRECTORS
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For Queen and Country Interview first appeared in Global Trailer Magazine – reproduced with permission from Global Trailer (globaltrailermag.com) James Gray, Joint Managing Director of Gray & Adams, is proud to be an active player in the UK-based OEM’s legacy of engineering excellence and innovation. In this extensive interview, he talks to us about his start in the family business, its growth to what it is today, the legacy that has been created and his pride in Gray & Adams achieving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. “I’ve always been a part of Gray & Adams, with my father having started the business in 1957 in Fraserburgh with Jim Adams, originally as a body repair shop carrying out repairs to early cars and commercial vehicles. Interestingly, we still retain one of the premium car and commercial repair shops in the North of Scotland. My mother was also initially involved in the day to day management of the office, so I do feel as though I’ve always been here, to some degree. “When I left school, I was naturally very keen to join the family business. I started on the shop floor and learned the business from the ground up. The schooling wasn’t easy and there were no concessions for the boss’s son. But looking back it gave me an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the business in an almost forensic way. This was key in allowing me to develop with the business which is very different today.” During those years, Gray & Adams built a lot of tippers for the bulk industry as well as dry freight boxes and even a bus.
“We also designed trailers for the whisky industry that delivered grain to the distilleries and bottled and barrelled whisky to customers. I suppose they were one of our first dual purpose vehicles.” With the strong presence of both meat and fish processing on the North East coast of Scotland, Gray & Adams was inevitably drawn into the food transport industry. “One of our first customers was Gibbs of Fraserburgh. At first we built dry ice carriers but in the 1960s introduced forced air refrigeration using Petter fridges manufactured under licence from America.” As the OEM’s reputation and business grew, the business began work for customers further afield, spreading South. “In 1977, we opened our site in Dunfermline, servicing the Central Belt of Scotland. In 1978, I was part of the team implementing a new manufacturing process to enable the building of trailers using one-piece panels, which we still work with today. Subsequent sites were opened in Belfast in 1981 and Doncaster in 1990. I was the Production Director for many years and, when my father retired in 2002, my uncle Lewis Gray took over the reins. When he retired in 2013, myself and my brother Peter took on the role of Joint Managing Directors with plans to build the business in to the £150 million manufacturing group it is today.”
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Gray & Adams have four manufacturing sites in the UK employing over 700 people. “Over the years we have put significant investment in to Fraserburgh expanding its acreage and investing in new CNC machinery such as laser and plasma cutters, routers and saws.” “We have also purchased and new tractor unit fleet for inter-company transport and a fleet of new 15.6m curtain sider trailers. These transport panels around the group improving efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint.” “Dunfermline and Ireland have both had significant site improvements and we are currently investing in solar energy and refurbishment at our Doncaster site. Gray & Adams has never been frightened of investing, even in difficult times. I do not see this changing as taking calculated investment risks has made us the industry leader we are today.” This year, Gray & Adams was recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise. “Winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation is a very significant and memorable acknowledgement of our successes throughout the years and a significant moment in our 60+ years of history. This is a milestone which reflects the expertise of our teams and their dedication to building innovative, industry-leading, quality products – the sense of achievement and pride is
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felt company-wide. We are massively appreciative of our highly skilled engineering teams and our manufacturing operatives that allow us to produce our world-class products. We would also like to thank our very loyal customers and partners, without whose assistance and support we would be unable to enjoy such highly respected recognition.” 2020 has seen the world impacted by Covid-19. For Gray, the global pandemic is the likes of which we have never seen in our lifetime. “Our people are our most important asset and their safety and wellbeing are uppermost in my mind,” he said. “We therefore took the decision to close our manufacturing plants across the UK for a few weeks over the peak of the pandemic whilst we carefully assessed the situation. “I am pleased to say that we have since reopened, all be it with a reduced capacity, ensuring our staff have full PPE and maintain strict social distancing to ensure safe working operations. As we learn more, and adapt to the new environment, we will ramp up our production but only if we can ensure people’s safety. “As a key industry ourselves, we are massively appreciative of our National Health Service (NHS) in the UK and we would like to thank all of the frontline workers who are doing a truly amazing job. The situation remains fluid and uncertain, but you can be guaranteed that we will work with our customers to support and inform them in this difficult period.” Earlier this year, in April, Castell Howell championed its Covid-19 message with Gray & Adams rigids. “With customer relationships at our core, our role with Castell Howell’s NHS Livery was in supporting our customer and raising awareness of the positive work they are doing for their communities throughout Covid-19. Castell Howell’s NHS livery was a customer initiative –
supported by Gray & Adams but driven and directed by their own desire to respond to these unprecedented times.” There has been a fundamental change in the way food is procured in the UK. “Large out of town superstores have declined, particularly in the big cities where traffic congestion is worse. People tend to do one big shop a month, often using home delivery. This has seen a rise in convenience store sales in particular, and high street sales in general. We also see much sharper spikes in demand for large sporting events or in good weather periods. As a result, we are working closely with our customers on urban
delivery systems. This includes small rigid and panel vans and also larger trucks, but not exclusively. Many of our customers prefer urban trailers and urban double deck trailers which are seen as more efficient and give greater longevity and payload.” Gray & Adams’ people are key to its ongoing success. Retaining talent, while also developing talent, is a top priority for the business. “Gray & Adams dominates the UK cold chain from farm to fork and sea to plate.’’ “The company supplies double deck trailers to most major supermarkets, including Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Iceland, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, as well as blue-chip household brands like DPD, John Lewis Waitrose, M&S and Warburtons. Whatever you can buy in a supermarket, from fresh or chilled produce to frozen products
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and pharmaceuticals, the chances are it will have travelled in a Gray & Adams semi-trailer or rigid. Over the years, the company has won several awards for its innovative and bespoke products that are extensively used in the UK and exported around the world.” “The business’ family legacy lives on in current Directors, James and Peter Gray, who maintain that its people are the key to its success. Gray & Adams is proud to have developed many young engineers and skilled tradespersons over the years and is committed to supporting young people through its apprenticeship scheme. Having worked hard to achieve a reputation for quality, innovation and first-class customer service, it places an important emphasis on attracting, developing and retaining the most talented people in the industry and invests heavily in its staff to ensure their continuous improvement.” “It’s not just a family business historically, we are a business that maintains family-values, with a 700 strong workforce across the UK and a clear focus on quality, customer service excellence and innovation. We have many long serving team members and generations of families employed here over the years, some of them with 50 years’ service. We are one of the largest employers in Fraserburgh and have significantly invested in the development of our teams.” “Our apprenticeship scheme has over 40 apprentices every year and has done for a long time. We encourage as many of those young people as possible to build their career with us. Our staff know that they contribute to the development of industry-leading products and services, they are proud of the products they build and the customers we work with.”
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Gray & Adams is also proud of the significant rise in female employees as apprentices, engineers and shop floor workers. “Traditionally, the body building business was seen as a male preserve, but we are very pleased to see this change significantly in the 21st century.” The OEM is constantly striving to improve its products in efficiency, environment and safety. “We have won many awards in innovation with our double deck trailers but also for our rigid products using electric fridges, aerodynamics, low-slung cabs, cycle and pedestrian safety systems and low noise. We are also increasingly working with clients on mechanisation and auto loading to improve efficiency in their cold stores.” Gray & Adams has a long history of working with Carrier Transicold and is a Carrier service dealer for the north of Scotland.
“Large volume double deck trailers running throughout the UK need high capacity, fuel efficient units. It will be interesting to see how the new HE performs but early results are encouraging. That said we also work closely with other fridge manufacturers Thermo King, GAH, Hubbard, Frigoblock and Dearman to ensure our customers have maximum choice in their refrigeration supplier.” The UK cold chain, according to Gray, is one of the most competitive markets of its kind in the world. “We are constantly evolving and improving. Temperature integrity and biosecurity are two key requirements. Double deck trailers have reduced vehicle movements and CO2 emissions immensely. They are one of our bestselling products. Multi temperature vehicles again reduce vehicle movements allowing a truck to carry three temperature regimes on one vehicle increasing flexibility and reducing costs.
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The pharmaceutical industry has brought greater demands for temperature control requiring vehicles to be mapped within one-degree temperature variants. The environment has caused us to look at sustainability, improved aerodynamics, reduced emissions and increased safety and manoeuvrability of large vehicles on congested high streets.” The research and development element of Gray & Adams work is twofold. “It comes from our expert and experienced teams, who consistently strive for innovation and feedback from customers as part of our strong relationships. Our bespoke build process lends itself to partnership and collaboration with our customers and this feedback loop is something which adds further insight to our research and development facilities.
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The keys to our success: Outstanding contributions from our team during Covid-19
Adam Sutton-Pinner We’ve even had emails of thanks from customers as a result of his commitment to go the extra mile. We have had strong support from across the Group, from Scott Walker to the engineering team, as well as the sales team and also through Director, Lewis Gray, who helped us to keep everything on track.”
During the Covid-19 pandemic there have been many exceptional circumstances for our team to manage and, as a result, opportunities for our people to shine despite a challenging period. This achievement is exemplified perfectly in the work throughout lockdown of our Product Support Team - Colin Taylor, Group Product Manager, and Adam Sutton-Pinner, Group Field Engineer. The role of product support is crucial for our customers, providing after-sales care, maintenance, faults repairs, training and handling product or part queries and claims.
With customers under so much pressure to deliver, in a difficult time for the industry, Adam reflected on the experience of delivering for customers throughout lockdown, “There was definitely a greater pressure on the team to get repairs fixed first time for customers and to work within each customer’s strict Covid-19 processes, whilst also ensuring we were able to work safely within our own guidelines. In addition, we had to work as a tight-knit team to manage our attendance requests without access to our breakdown database for several weeks, which would usually be our first tool in the whole process”.
Like any other team, they work closely with colleagues to deliver for our customers and there were some additional notable contributions made from a number of people to ensure Adam and Colin could operate effectively throughout this time. For example, Scott Walker worked diligently alongside them to manage stock levels and supply parts needed to keep operations moving – if they needed a part, he made sure they got it. Similarly, the sales team, engineering team and Director, Lewis Gray, were on hand to support.
“I consider myself lucky to work alongside Colin, he’s got so much experience and knowledge that he no longer needs to work from wiring diagrams – it’s all just there in his head, which I find highly frustrating. He’s a great communicator and manager – always there to support me. At times, it can be hard working on your own by the roadside and under pressure from the customer. You have to stay calm and keep focused when you know that the customer is hoping for an immediate solution. If and when the pressure gets to me, I know that Colin is always at the other end of the phone to work with me and help find a way to resolve the issue. I’m really proud to be part of such a strong team that pulls together through difficult times – it makes a huge difference to how you feel and lets you get on with the job in hand.”
The commitment and dedication of our team, in ensuring Gray & Adams can continue to deliver exceptional service to our customers - many of whom are classed as front- line services, has been outstanding. With this in mind, we spoke to Adam and Colin, to find out more about their contributions throughout Covid-19. Considering the challenges throughout this time, Colin said “When our facilities closed across the UK, the product support team had to move quickly and decisively to adapt our ways of working to guidelines on safe working practices, whilst also ensuring continuity of our customer service. For example, providing roadside repairs or maintenance and parts support throughout the period. Our aim was to keep as many customer trailers and vehicles on the road as possible whilst also ensuring parts were available across the Gray & Adams group.” “With Adam’s role as our On-Site Technician, working to ensure our customers had the support they needed to keep their fleet running, he made a massive contribution throughout lockdown. He has been brilliant, from start to finish. He worked through Easter Weekend to manage a unique challenge for one of our customers, going out of his way to solve their issue and provided fantastic service to get the job done.
Colin Taylor
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Driving Positivity During these challenging times for businesses across the country, many of Gray & Adams customers have undertaken some admirable and impactful initiatives to support local communities and the NHS throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. SPAR wholesaler for the north of England, James Hall & Co., has decorated ten of its double decker SPAR trucks with rainbows of hope, in support of partner Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and NHS staff up and down the country. As well as spreading hope and positivity, the rainbows celebrate a partnership between Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and James Hall & Co., who donated £250,000 to Royal Preston Hospital, for a new state-of-the-art relaxation and recuperation centre to be developed for NHS staff working at the hospital. Andrew Hall, Managing Director at James Hall & Co. said, “Many of our staff and their families live in and around Preston and have a special connection with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. We therefore wanted to provide a legacy for NHS staff that would reach far beyond coronavirus and provide some respite from the challenging work they face on a daily basis.” “Rainbows of hope have become synonymous with the coronavirus crisis. Together with Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, we loved the idea that this symbol could travel thousands of
miles across the north of England, journeying from our Preston depot to over 600 SPAR stores. We hope that these rainbows will spread positivity and bring a smile to anyone who sees them.” Another long-term customer, Co-op, has undertaken multiple projects to add value to its customers and make a difference in a difficult time for the industry. Earlier this year, Co-op shared a major multi-million-pound boost to feed the nation during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, pulling its Easter TV advertising campaign and donating the airtime – worth £2.5 million – to fight hunger by promoting the work of charity FareShare. Throughout this period, Co-op also developed a school meal scheme, revealing it would provide support for schools across the UK to provide free meals to eligible pupils through a gift card system. The national launch of Co-operate, an online community centre, connecting vulnerable customers to local and national support initiatives, was also a big achievement for the business. Allowing people to connect with volunteers who are running virtual events such as exercise classes, music groups, or arts & crafts classes for others, across the country. Aware of the impact this lockdown could have on people’s mental wellbeing, CEO of Co-op, Steve Murrells, said “In the past, many people have been reluctant to volunteer because they hadn’t got the time and they feared committing to something they would be unable to maintain. I’m confident that this experience will serve to remind us of the power and importance of communities working together.
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The acts of co-operation and self-sacrifice being made now by so many are really heartening, and we hope, through initiatives like Co-operate, they will last way beyond the pandemic and into the long term.” Similarly, Welsh business Castell Howell has found a way to support UK Government communication of key messages to communities across the UK. Through new impactful livery on their rigid vehicles, built by Gray & Adams, Castell Howell have been championing the ‘Stay home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives campaign’, driving the message home to communities, as they work to support their customers in the care sector and NHS.
Martin Jones, Director of Transport Operations at Castell Howell explained, “At Castell Howell, we feel that we still have a responsibility and a role to play as a business in what’s happening across the UK at the moment. Though we’re facing many challenges in our own business, we are doing what we can to make a difference, no matter how small, in spreading these vitally important messages to communities.” Having worked together with James Hall SPAR, Co-op and Castell Howell for many years, Gray & Adams is delighted to support these customers throughout this historic moment in time and beyond. Their commitment to taking positive action throughout this challenging period for many across the UK, is inspiring and we are proud to support their efforts through sharing their stories.
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Bidfood NL delivers for The Dutch Food Bank Having worked together for over a decade, Gray & Adams and Bidfood NL have a history of using innovative thinking to make a difference to both their customers and the communities in which they operate. Throughout the global covid-19 crisis, both businesses have been looking for ways to create value and positive local support. Bidfood NL has a long-standing relationship with the Dutch Food Bank, which provides food packages free of charge to those who cannot make ends meet financially. The donation of surplus food to hungry people supports both the wider community in need, and the environment. Under ordinary circumstances, the Dutch Food Bank is run by volunteers, most of them retired, who sort and store donated food before it’s turned into parcels for customers. Additionally, volunteer drivers collect food donations and deliver weekly packages to those who need it. During the coronavirus outbreak these volunteers were not able to work, due to risk of infection.
As part of this drive to make things better throughout Covid-19, Bidfood NL considered that the surplus food at risk of going to waste in closed down establishments was enormous. The solution? Using their fleet and expert teams to collect and deliver surplus food from around the Netherlands to help customers to manage food waste, as well as supply the Dutch Food Banks with food for its growing consumer base during these difficult times. “It was a triple win for Bidfood.” says Bart Penders, Transport Manager/Logistics Project Leader at Bidfood NL, “The reduction of food waste, helping people in need and a role in making a positive difference, to both customers and local people. With commitment from our team, we were able to facilitate collection and delivery of the produce to food banks. We’re lucky to have a supportive team and fantastic customers who get behind our ideas and business decisions. In this way, Bidfood NL was able to secure and deliver a supply of food for the people in our communities who need it the most.”
Since March 2020, the Government in Holland applied lockdown rules across the country and, like many businesses across the world, Bidfood NL lost around 75% of its business overnight. The services of Bidfood NL’s trucks and drivers were put on hold due to the nationwide closure of restaurants and hotels. However, with innovation an integral part of its culture, Bidfood NL chose to find ways to ensure it could spread positivity and add value to those in need through innovative thinking and pivoting of services. For example, in partnership with Next to Food, Bidfood NL has been supporting customers through ‘E-food’ software, which enables the set-up of an e-commerce website in just 24 hours. This allows food retailers to pivot their business service quickly and enable online food orders throughout lockdown.
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Coping with Covid: Creating a safe working environment during the Covid-19 crisis “Another consideration was for enhanced site security. Space was made for additional staff parking to ensure that personnel could remain on site and accounted for, for the duration of their shift. This was done in conjunction with clear guidance for staff on what to bring to work, for example bringing food and drink required for the day with them to site, with all canteens and communal areas, such as locker rooms, closed. It is clear through the conduct of the staff who have already returned to work, that the team have embraced the new environment created, whilst focusing on delivering the quality products and services which Gray & Adams is renowned for.”
Having closed its doors on 24 March, in line with UK Government guidance during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Gray & Adams management team were tasked with close examination of existing operational practices to redefine and innovate new ways of working and operating safely, in the new normal. As a business operating across four sites across the UK, and with a team of over 700 staff, this was no small task. Gray & Adams is proud to support front line services through work with customers in the food service and pharmaceutical industries, it was therefore essential to respond swiftly and decisively, with clear and cohesive plan across the Group. Initial input from several key members of the Fraserburgh team was required to co-ordinate strategic planning of the processes for the Group, including James Gray, Tony Jones, James Hendry, Davy Smith and Gordon Harper, it was a real team effort to get everything in place.
“The first phase of staff was brought back to work in early May, beginning with panel and chassis builders, then a further phase of staff to begin construction of trailers which enabled manufacturing to resume at around 50% capacity across the Group. With continuous monitoring to ensure safe working, in June it was possible to increase staff numbers again, allowing the business to run at around 75% capacity and with plans to continue incremental phased return of staff, and shift work to ensure all safety measures and social distancing can be maintained.”
Tony Jones, Group HSE Manager at Gray & Adams, explained. “We began by speaking to our managers about creating an action plan for how we could best run each department safely and with a reduced workforce. This led to the creation and implementation of one-way systems including marked-out floor areas with tape, clear signage and arrows. We developed back to work risk assessment processes and procedures, such as temperature checks for all staff and contracted staff. We also designed a controlled movement process, which focused on ensuring each department was secure and supported as a stand-alone area, with restricted staff movement between departments. This means that, if someone is required in a different department, there are several processes to go through in order to grant access for this movement to take place.
“This shift required 100% commitment from all Gray & Adams staff to successfully implement and adhere to new, socially distant, working practices. We were absolutely delighted with the way our team supported the business in this regard. Despite an entirely new way of working, we have seen our staff adapt, keep each other safe and wear the correct PPE throughout. In some instances, we have even found greater efficiency of performance in the new environment, partly through stringently controlled movement around our sites. This has also been good to see, as it points towards an engaged and determined team. We couldn’t be more pleased with their adaptability, conduct and performance at a hugely challenging time.”
“At Fraserburgh, we installed hand sanitiser dispensers and hand basins in every department to ensure that there was sufficient access for handwashing throughout. In line with UK Government guidance, the first and last thing to be done by staff on entering their department or completing their shift is to wash their hands. The installation of toilets across the site was also undertaken to ensure sufficient staff access to bathrooms, with no need to share facilities between departments.” “With safety at the forefront of every forensically planned decision, PPE is provided to all staff, including high-vis vests featuring social distancing messaging, disposable gloves, masks, visors and goggles. With some close proximity work unavoidable, Gray & Adams is also able to offer its staff air-fed hoods as a further precautionary safety measure.”
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Interview with Sam De Beaux: A legacy of engineering excellence Q1. Tell us about your background in the industry. I graduated from Aberdeen University with an Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1983. My career started at Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), firstly as a furnace and pressure vessel design engineer and then as project engineer for the road transport section. This move changed the direction of the rest of my career. Back then, 38T was just being introduced, air suspension was unheard of and the technical issues of getting three axles to have an evenly distributed load was new to the transport world. After much research, I decided to invest ICIs money in BPW VO air suspension. The only other UK operator to use this system at that time was BOC. Over dinner at a Seddon Atkinson service meeting, I (deliberately) sat beside Chris Staples’ Fleet Engineer at BOC to pick his brains on this ‘new’ air suspension system. A week later his boss arrived in my office to offer me a job! (thank you Jon Ostle) And so, I joined BOC as their project engineering and then tanker engineer. Knowing that experience at an operational depot was essential, I applied for and successfully got the role of depot engineer at what was then Transhield Bristol Depot. Following what turned out to be a relatively brief time in Bristol (8 months), I returned to BOC as fleet engineer, actually taking Chris Staples’ job when he moved to another role (small world!).
In 1991, I was appointed Chief Engineer Transport for BOC distribution Services (ex-Transhield) and remained in post there until 1999. I still had a genuine desire to progress and my personal ambition was to become Engineering Director. After seeing an advert for Engineering Director London United Busses five times in one week! I applied… was offered the job and then, followed my Dad’s advice and accepted the position. With my fellow directors we operated six depots and 600 buses in London in an interesting time for the industry, post de-nationalisation. During the two years I was in London United, BOC Distribution Services became Gist. I was approached several times to return to Gist, but it wasn’t until 2001 that I became Engineering Director there. The role has developed extensively over the years, from Fleet and MHE to now include automated warehouse systems, property, facilities, power, energy usage and imminent and emerging legislation - in effect all the engineering support services for the company in UK, Ireland and Europe. I have enjoyed the various roles throughout my career and found each one both interesting and satisfying. Every job has those elements that you’d rather not have, but that has always been offset by the interesting and rewarding aspects. The people within the Gist engineering department, that I have been fortunate to head up over 30 years, have a terrific ‘can do’ attitude. We have never failed to deliver our promises to our businesses, both in terms of service and cost.
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My team give their absolute all to get the job done rather than fail, and I would like to thank them all for that commitment. Q2. What are the key trends you see in the industry, impacting operators like Gist? Two key trends I see affecting all operators right now are global warming and inner-city pollution levels. Gist has always had the objective to minimise the impact it has on the environment and those around us, whether through aerodynamic vehicles, fuel efficiency, better fill, less miles, using less electricity, gas or water and more environmentally friendly disposal of waste. Safety is a fundamental pillar at all times within our industry. Large commercial vehicles are heavy and if things go wrong, people can get injured or worse. Busy 24/7 warehouses with mechanical handling equipment need very close monitoring and detailed safety plans and training. Gist has always been at the forefront of safe practice in the transport industry - many items that Gist have fitted for years, are now standard in the industry. Development of skills within the workforce is also key. Gist has always employed engineering apprentices, some of whom have exceeded 40 years’
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service. Modern technology progresses at such a pace that, without training and development of technicians, in-house cost-effective maintenance arrangements would not succeed. This country is currently facing an unprecedented challenge with the coronavirus pandemic. Whenever there are challenges or operational peaks, our team rise to the occasion and continue to lead effectively, reinforcing the core strength of Gist and its people. Q3. Could you tell me how you have seen the industry evolve from when you first started your career? There are many examples. The industry has tightened every aspect to ensure not only its survival but to meet the demands of our customers. Planning has always been thorough and there is now a much greater focus on resources; be it power, servicing frequency or fuel. Time is always short, and efficiency has never been more important. Crucially, creating time to be innovative is essential. Total life cost is a popular current concept, but short-term planning is often prioritised to successfully hit the next month or quarter or year. Looking to the future, greater emphasis must be focussed on the 5-year plan as well.
become out of tolerance before the limit is reached. Particularly impressive is the BPW Idem System, fitted to our trailers measuring brake, tyre, fridge and lights performance, resulting in significantly reduced roadside breakdowns and increased safety, whilst saving cost. Much greater demands are made on personnel across our industry. Gist has less engineering staff than 30 years ago whilst maintaining a much wider range of services. Hopefully we have not forgotten how to have fun and enjoy work despite the need for ongoing service and financial demands. Q4. What would you say have been your career highlights and biggest achievements? Perhaps not big moments but there are key moments that have made it worth the hard work and long hours: A highlight was at ICI, taking the whole of Severnside production site down to
Fixing items when they break is no longer good enough. More predictive and proactive systems are essential. Remote monitoring facilitates replacement before failure. Our systems increasingly send e-mails to the engineering managers to report issues that are trending to
I have fond memories of spending many weekends trialling various aerodynamic features at the Mira Test Track – tests that have made a real difference in fleet fuel costs. I remember taking the legislation and choosing the innovations of many in the industry, then combining these for the benefit of Gist, be that double deck trailers, drawbars, urban trailers, MHE adoptions, truck manufacturers options, all of which combined to improve efficiency with reduced total life costs. Double deck trailers with added roll stability control, the removal of asbestos brake linings and anti-lock braking systems (ABS) – all innovations developed long before they were mandatory. My job is hugely satisfying. I am ultimately responsible for building and making things happen and that means you can physically see the results coming together. I am always mindful that you leave a legacy on the things that you build. This always motivates me to ensure that whatever I am working on is robust, safe and will last for the specified life of the product. Everything I have pioneered has been done with the support of my engineering team, all outstanding. They are constantly innovating and developing ideas which help us to be better, quicker, safer, more cost effective, and ultimately more efficient. A huge thank you to each and every one of them again.
Vehicles have evolved with changing legislation. The fleet is safer now than it ever was - despite increased height, length and weight all of which combine to maximise operational efficiencies. Automated sorter machines are replacing people to fulfil more lowskill tasks. Uptime of these machines becomes paramount to delivering service. Many of Gist’s operations require to be undertaken within 15-minute to 30-minute windows. Having calculated the efficiency of our automated sorting machines, they have greater operational uptime than EasyJet and British Airways combined.
using this type of vehicle for which the groundwork was done.
Q5. What innovations do you see as being key to the future of the industry?
commission an 11T per hour steam plant over one weekend, age just 24. Failure meant the entire production site could not be operational the following week.
People and training will always sit near the top of the list. With staff, we have to go back to the core values and behaviours we have always had. Stop the words and presentations and prove that you care about your people through your actions.
Fronting the Government on natural gas duty rates, having been invited to the House of Commons to present the case for taxation and duty, was a career high. This followed the development and building of the first natural gas-powered vehicle in the UK with Perkins back in 1992. Now there are many operators
The industry is facing huge challenges in the form of global warming and inner-city air quality. Change is essential. With attitudes towards diesel becoming increasingly negative, alternative fuel innovations will gain prominence. Natural gas and hydrogen can be seen as alternatives; however, electricity is
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the way forward but only if it is from renewable sources. Replacing diesel with electricity for heavy (above 30T) haulage will not be easy without vast infrastructure development. There have been trials in Scandinavia involving electrifying roads which would make electric HGVs a more feasible option. Although the investment required would be significant, it is estimated to be only about half of the cost of HS2 and would significantly benefit the Nation. It is an option that needs action sooner rather than later. Trailer lengths have been increased and for certain industries increased weights are essential to reduce numbers of assets required and further efficiency. Management of depots will also need to be more efficient. Further automation of warehouses is essential to fill the employment shortage or replace repetitive jobs. Compliance with refrigerant gas legislation has changed the plant requirements to ammonia based with zero global warming potential. Ways to reduce the non-renewable resources we use is paramount.
days trying to innovate new products. Looking for more capacity, less noise, greater efficiency and convenience for the operator or maintenance to drive lower total life costs. The first double deck trailers were developed with Lewis Gray Snr and Jim Gray. A true innovation that has transformed the logistics fleets of today in the UK. The development of drawbar trailers filled a useful load carrying capacity gap when trailers could be not more than 40 foot in length. It has always been very satisfying bringing new products to market. Gray & Adams products are exceptionally robust and can deal with the use and abuse exacted
by supermarket operations. This quality ensures that refurbishment of their trailers to re-life them for up to 12 years is easily achievable. They have looked to continually innovate the technology associated with their complete product not just the body, which enables us to stay well ahead in the industry. After Sales Support arguably is more important than the initial sale. If we ever have an issue with the product, Gray & Adams work quickly to help us resolve the issue, which is vital for our operations and something that we really value. Lastly, an emphasis on personal relationships at all levels, understanding the customer’s needs and understanding our business and a commitment to improvement is embedded in the culture of Gray and Adams and in particular Jim Webster (current Gist Account Manager). Ultimately, such attention to detail is what sets them apart.
Q6. Could you tell us about your experience of working with Gray & Adams? I first met with Gray & Adams in 1989 and have worked closely with them throughout the 1990s to the present day. We have spent many hours and
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Staff Spotlight: Murray Littlejohn Q1. How long have you been working for Gray & Adams and what is your role? I have been working here for 31 years, having started in1988. I am currently the Transport Co-ordinator and in charge of getting the trailers from the factory to the customer, on time and for when they need them. It’s a challenge that involves covering big distances as efficiently as possible. Q2. What attracted you to the company initially? I initially asked James Gray if there were any jobs going at Gray & Adams. He said yes but as a boy who had grown up working on farms, he insisted I wouldn’t enjoy working inside. He told me to wait and that he would come back to me when an outside job was available. Sure enough, he did and I came on board as a Fork Lift Driver, working that job for ten years. The job is not lost to me though, as I still love a day on the forklift when I get the chance. Q3. Tell us about your greatest achievements whilst working for Gray & Adams Getting the finished trailers to the customers on time and receiving emails to say thank you. We are a big team and I only play a small part of the end result but the consistency of on time delivery, and how this adds to customer satisfaction, is something I am really proud of. Q4. What current industry innovation impresses you the most and why? The double deckers are really impressive. Both in scale and efficiency - it means less vehicles on the road and more product delivered at one time, which is also better for environment. Q5. What current trends do you see making the biggest impact on the Industry? The size of trailer keeps getting bigger. We are now at 15.5 metres long. These bigger trailers are great for delivery efficiency but are a bigger challenge in production and delivery. Q6. How do you ensure customer service excellence for our customers? The most important thing is a good mix of people, who are committed and work hard to get the jobs done on time. It makes a huge difference, and we do have a good team. Q7. If you could do someone else’s job (at Gray & Adams) for the day, whose would it be and why? I’d go back to the forklifts. When you are on the forklift you get to visit all departments and meet loads of people and see what is being done across the business. It is a great job! Q8. What is the best thing about working for Gray & Adams? The people. We have a great bunch of people. Everyone gets on. We call it the craic in Scotland - We laugh and joke, it is like a family really. You can speak and joke with anyone at any level in the business, from the Directors to the guys brushing the floor.
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PRM chooses Gray & Adams for 30th Anniversary trailers For over 30 years PRM Group has mastered the challenge of market penetration as they work with over 35 leading brands providing a route to the retail market, wholesale and foods service sectors along with third party logistics throughout UK and Ireland.
It recently turned to Gray & Adams to use its considerable reputation for innovation to manufacture two new 26 pallet capacity, multi temperature trailers, with one featuring a celebratory 30th Anniversary livery. The brief to Gray & Adams was for a safe, efficient, sustainable design to add further impact and value to their trailer fleet as part of a drive for continuous improvement. Although the trailers have a similar specification to others in their fleet, they now include a range of environmentally friendly features to enable a reduced carbon footprint and enhanced safety. This includes the new Carrier Transicold Vector HE 19 multi temperature refrigeration unit, with a quieter, more efficient engine and an aerodynamics package including a vortex generator on the roof to further improve aerodynamic performance. As the new Vector HE 19 unit is noticeably quieter in operation – 3 dB(A), or around 50%, quieter than the previous generation Vector 1950 – PRM can confidently deliver at night in urban areas with a much-reduced chance of disturbing the local communities they operate in. It also features a sliding interior bulkhead door, indicating side marker lights for enhanced safety, additional lights at the rear for greater visibility and a high-quality GRP interior finish for easier cleaning.
On the addition of the new Vector HE 19 he said, “Carrier Transicold’s new Vector HE 19s are already playing a big part in helping to improve our fleet efficiency and sustainability, primarily by delivering huge fuel savings compared to our previous fridge units. When you add in how quiet they are, it’s fair to say we are extremely impressed with their performance.” Commenting on PRM’s relationship with Gray & Adams, Philip added, “Gray & Adams strive to achieve all aspects of the task we challenge them with and have always delivered high quality, high performance products. We have maintained and upgraded our trailers over the years with excellent aftersales repair, maintenance and support from Gray & Adams. From design to manufacture, they provide industry leading customer service, are responsive and are always ready to support us, helping to minimise downtime and going the extra mile. The added value is that they know us and they make our business, their business.”
The relationship, dating more than 36 years between Philip Morrow and Gray & Adams, is built upon trust as businesses which share strong family values. Philip Morrow, owner and Managing Director, said of the trailers, “PRM has always invested in innovation, ensuring we continually improve our fleet with new and more sustainable solutions. We wanted a prestigious, high quality trailer for our 30th Anniversary and we turned to Gray & Adams, as they are a partner we trust. We’re focused on deploying more environmentally friendly solutions across our fleet and look forward to working with the team at Gray & Adams (Ireland) on further innovations in the future.”
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Supplier Spotlight: UPM Q4. What are the key opportunities and challenges in the industry in 2020 from a UPM perspective?
We spoke to Andrew Jackson, Sales Manager at UPM, about our two-decade long relationship with UPM.
From our perspective the green agenda will be the biggest driving force in the industry. The mission will be not to remove but to reduce co2 emissions. The vehicle industry is an important part of the supply chain, this means it is here to stay. It can’t, however, stay in its current state.
Q1. Who is UPM? UPM is driving a sustainable, innovation-driven, and exciting future. We create renewable solutions that replace fossil-based materials. Our products rely on renewable, sustainable and biodegradable raw resources to produce environmentally friendly and recyclable materials. We are advancing the bioeconomy.
Q5. How can Gray & Adams ensure even closer integration of their supply chain in the future? In all honesty they should just continue doing what they do. As a partner they bring open and honest communication. If you have that, it is very good foundation to build on. Everything grows from there.
Q2. What products and services do you offer to Gray & Adams? We offer hardwearing and ecological plywood solutions to our partners in construction, transport and many other industries worldwide, and for more than 20 years we have been Gray & Adams main supplier for plywood, which they use for their vehicle construction.
Q6. Finally, your thoughts about the overall experience of working with the Gray & Adams team? We have a very strong relationship, built upon trust. Both businesses can rely on each other fully. Our relationship has also been augmented by the fact that we share the same missions. We are both driven to innovate industries through new product development. We also share a core mission to become and help others become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Q3. How long have you been working with Gray & Adams and what’s your experience of working as part of their supply chain? We have been working with Gray & Adams for over 20 years. I have found that both businesses value clear and honest communication and go the extra mile to maintain transparency. In the spirit of partnership, both are also incredibly understanding and flexible. For example, we had a fire in one of our facilities. This put our client delivery under pressure. Gray & Adams where extremely helpful and flexible however, which made managing the situation much easier. We have a close relationship built on trust and understanding.
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A narrow escape: Terry Flood How long have you been working for Gray & Adams and what is your role? I have been working for Gray & Adams for 29 years. I started as commercial vehicle fitter, with engineering repairs being my bread and butter. I then moved onto assembly and quickly found myself in a role as a Foreman. At this time, my team built entire rigids from start to finish and produced about two or three a month. A feat of engineering I am proud of, but a much less efficient process than what we have now. With the progression to assembly line production I specialised in electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic system work and that is where I finished my career. What attracted you to the company initially? My friend started working as a welder and I followed. Simple as that. Tell us about your greatest achievements whilst working for Gray & Adams? It would have to be the multi-temperature chicken and egg carriers. They are the most complex customer request I have been a part of. We had to create systems that could provide optimum heat for either chickens or eggs. For example, eggs would be taken straight out of the hen and moved to the hatchery in these carriers. We had to maintain the perfect temperature for this journey. To add to the challenge the system also had to disperse disinfectant and carry up to
60,000 eggs. The carrier would then need to be adapted for transporting chickens. It was a complex project, and one I found incredibly satisfying. If you could do someone else’s job (at Gray & Adams) for the day, whose would it be and why? I loved what I did. I have been in every section of the business and I honestly wouldn’t change from the role I have now. What is the best thing about working for Gray & Adams? The firm does not let you down. They look after you. They really do. You are respected, given a safe working environment and cared for. You never feel on your own, you always feel part of team who care for you. The company look after all their staff well. What are your retirement plans? I have bought a 58ft narrow boat that needs a bit of care. Once it is brushed up and in working order the wife and I plan to start exploring canals and see where it takes us. What advice would you give to someone joining Gray & Adams today? Listen to everything you are told. No one will try to bring you down, instead they will try to lift you up. Everyone cares for you and will lend you valuable expertise and knowledge. Listen and you’ll progress.
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Sum Gray & Adams up in one word? Niche. Specialising in temperature controlled vehicles Gray & Adams is on its own. It does what no one else does and does it very well. Gray & Adams have mastered a market niche. Across your time at the company what things have changed the most? Efficiency. Our processes have become so much quicker. Our assembly line gets products from start to finish as quickly as possible. Gone are the days of two or three trailers a month!
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Built from scratch in 48 years: Alex Ritchie How long have you been working for Gray & Adams and what is your role? I have been working here for 48 years, a lifetime! I have had various roles. When I started as an apprentice, I worked in teams building a whole trailer from scratch. We did everything from start to finish. Now we have departments handling each part of the process. It was a completely different job to any role available now, and one I found hugely satisfying. I took huge pride in saying I built that - all of that! My final and current job is working within the repairs team. This has been another amazing job. Every day is unique, and no two projects are never the same. The repair tasks are always different as are the vehicles. We will take in anyone’s vehicle; I have repaired fire engines and competitors’ trailers alongside our own vehicles. I have enjoyed the variety. I have also enjoyed the problem solving - working with the incident or problem to find a solution that works for each individual situation. What attracted you to the company initially? I followed my friends, as a lot of my closest friends worked for Gray & Adams. I am a local boy to Fraserburgh, and I wanted to stay here. The main industry in our local area is fishing and I didn’t fancy that, so it had to be Gray & Adams! Tell us about your greatest achievements whilst working for Gray & Adams? It would have to be building timber frame trailers from start to finish. These were small vans, like a butcher’s delivery van. I did everything except the painting and could walk away saying I built that van. If you could do someone else’s job (at Gray & Adams) for the day, whose would it be and why?
What are your retirement plans? Holidays, time with my grandchildren and golf. What advice would you give to someone joining Gray & Adams today? Show your ambition, there are opportunities here for you. If you are prepared to work hard, you will have no problems. You can also move up the ladder quickly -show your promise and you will progress in this company. Sum Gray & Adams up in one word? Reliable. We do it right at Gray & Adams and are very particular about the finished product. We always like things to be right - No question about that. Across your time at the company what things have changed the most? It is a massive business now. The volume of work and staff have increased an incredible amount compared to when I started. The process is also different. We used to make each trailer from start to finish, we now have departments doing small parts of the build, as part of a bigger production line. The scale and efficiency of our work has been the biggest change I’ve seen.
I’d be our Repairs Manager. I’d like to experience what happens before the vehicles get to the workshop - A new angle on a job I have been doing for many years! What is the best thing about working for Gray & Adams? The type of firm it is. They care for people. As a business they invest time and effort into each member of staff. They have time for your personal life and development. They are very supportive of staff, that is for sure.
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25 years and 3 Colins Three of our Fraserburgh team have all reached 25 years’ service with Gray & Adams, Colin Munro, Colin Finnie and Colin Norrie. Colin Munro started out doing graphics and then moved into painting, staying in this role for 25 years. He says of his time at Gray & Adams, “The best thing about this business is how well it looks after its staff. If you work hard and do your best, you’ll always be supported to progress. My current role brings a lot of variety and challenge, none bigger than preparing the show vans for industry events. It’s a great place to work!” The last of the Colins to reach this quarter century milestone, is Colin Norrie. Local lad, Colin, started in the door squad and then moved onto completion. He said, “I am now a Line Manager in foam injection, overseeing the injection of door frames, bulkheads and roofs. The one bit of advice I would give to anyone joining our business, is to listen. Take on board what you’re told and use that knowledge to progress. It is also good craic with the team, and I love the people that I work with. To sum up my time here, I would only use one word – ‘Quality’. We work hard so that we always deliver for our customers and that gives me a great deal of job satisfaction.”
Colin Finnie started in the panel prep department and is now the Panel Prep Manager, overseeing the cutting of door skins to size, from fibre glass to steel. He explained, “I have gained a lot of skills working here - it has been an amazing learning opportunity. I am still learning after 25 years and long may it continue! If I could sum Gray & Adams up in one word, it would be ‘Educational’. Coming from a previous career in a fish factory was a hard learning curve and, as the business modernises, I work hard to keep learning new skills. The learning never stops. I have also been taught skills for life here that have got me through far more than just my day job.”
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