Gray & Adams News: Winter 2021

Gray & Adams News WINTER 2021

In this issue > TCS&D award success > Championing local with Farmlay Eggs > Apprenticeship scheme reaches new heights ISSUE 15 | WINTER 2021

Director’s message

Contents Director’s message

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Triple awards success for Gray & Adams

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Collaborating with Lancashire DAF

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Championing local with Farmlay Eggs

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As we approach the end of 2021, we are proud to celebrate our collective effort and success for another year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our people, customers, partners and suppliers for their continued support during these challenging times.

Keeping the supply chain running with Creed Foodservice 8 The BIG interview: Tony Winterbottom

At the 2021 TCS&D Awards in Peterborough, we were delighted to take home three industry awards, having won Refrigerated Trailer of the Year for a sixth year in a row and the Innovation Award for the third time with Carrier Transicold for the Vector eCool. Gray & Adams also took home the Lifetime Achievement Award for the very first time, celebrating the life and considerable achievements of our dad, Jim Gray Snr, who passed away earlier this year. Read more about our successful awards evening on pages 4 – 5.

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Embracing modern innovation with Booths Supermarkets 12 Collaborative innovation: working with Nagel Langdons

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The Fraserburgh 55: Gray & Adams’ apprenticeship scheme reaches new heights

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Long service: a lifetime of value

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2021 reflections from Andrew Brown

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Staff spotlight: Robert Ritchie

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Staff spotlight: Debbie Young

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As our customer commitment remains a key focus, we’re pleased to share several of our customer stories in this edition. Thank you to Farmlay Eggs (Pg. 7), Creed Foodservice (Pgs. 8–9), Nagel Langdons (Pg. 13), and Booths Supermarkets (Pg. 12) for sharing your stories with us and for such fantastic feedback about our products, services, and staff. We are also very pleased to be sharing an article about our supplier partnership with Lancashire DAF on page 6.

Industry collaboration and working in partnership has always been a key feature of our relationships with our customers and suppliers. This is something which is embraced by many of our customers, though perhaps none more so than leading logistics service provider for restaurant chains around the world, Martin Brower. For this edition’s BIG Interview, we were delighted to sit down with Tony Winterbottom, General Manager of Operational Support at Martin Brower, to discuss their partnership with Gray & Adams. Read the whole interview with Tony on pages 10 – 11.

As ever, it is the people behind the scenes at Gray & Adams who are the key to our success. Each year Gray & Adams Fraserburgh develops and supports around 40 young people through its apprenticeship scheme as part of its commitment to the next generation of industry talent.

With a long-serving, expert team ready to pass on the expertise of its highly skilled tradespeople, some of whom have worked for the business for 40 years or more, our apprentices are seen as the future of our business. With this in mind, we spoke to three of Fraserburgh’s apprentices to find out a bit more about their experience with us; Ruben Morrison, William Smith and Josh Jamieson. Read their interview on pages 14 – 15.

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Keeping the supply chain running with Creed Foodservice Pages 8 – 9

Embracing m odern innova tion with Booths Supe rmarkets Page 12 Also in this newsletter, we speak with Fraserburgh’s Robert Ritchie and Dunfermline’s Debbie Young about their roles within the business in our staff spotlight features. We also spoke with five members of our team from across the UK who have each reached impressive long service milestones: Keith Craighead, George Whyte, Peter Northedge, Colin Crawley and David Mair pages 16 – 17.

As it has been since our inception in 1957, we are a family business, first and foremost. Despite materials shortages impacting the global supply chain and the impact of Covid-19 still being felt around the world, our people and their safety remain of utmost importance.

All business decisions continue to be driven with this at the forefront of our thinking. With a new year, and a 65th anniversary on the horizon, we would like to thank each and every one of our team for their unwavering commitment to Gray & Adams. We can’t thank you all enough for all that you do to keep our business moving, growing and continuously improving.

We’d like to wish all of our staff and customers a very Merry Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. Please take care of yourselves, your families, and stay safe.

JAMES AND PETER GRAY JOINT MANAGING DIRECTORS

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Triple awards success for Gray & Adams Gray & Adams’ position as the UK’s leading supplier of temperature-controlled semi-trailers and rigid vehicle bodywork was established once more, having won three awards at the Temperature Controlled Storage and Distribution (TCS&D) Awards in Peterborough.

and 2020, as well as the Innovation Award in both 2018 and 2019 and Customer Service Award in 2020.

This year, Gray & Adams has won three industry awards, highlighting its ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, innovation, and engineering excellence. As a business, Gray & Adams has experienced numerous reasons to celebrate in recent months, having been shortlisted in the upcoming Northern Star Business Awards for Business of the Year and Family Business of the Year.

On Tuesday 7th September 2021, at the TCS&D awards ceremony in the East of England Arena which celebrated

James and Peter Gray, Joint Managing Directors

many industry successes in a challenging period for

at Gray & Adams, commented:

businesses, Gray & Adams won Refrigerated Trailer of the

“Gray & Adams has always had a strong business ethos

Year for a sixth year in a row and the Innovation Award for the third time with Carrier Transicold for the Vector eCool.

built around people, quality and innovation. Winning these

It also took home the Lifetime Achievement Award for

awards is testament to the commitment of our expert staff,

the very first time, celebrating the life and considerable

who work tirelessly to provide a service that is second to

achievements of its founder, Jim Gray Snr, who passed away

none. Their endless commitment to our customers and

in February 2021.

partners, and to building bespoke products which set the standard for quality, has facilitated our success and growth

The awards recognise companies and individuals who have

over the last 60+ years. It is especially poignant to celebrate

made a difference in the temperature-controlled storage

the accomplishments of our dad, Jim. In many ways, how

and distribution industry, and Gray & Adams’ continued nomination and success at this event has recognised

our team operates today was pioneered by him all those

its achievements in providing best-in-class products,

years ago. We’re very proud to have taken home three

engineering innovation, and building a lifetime of value for

awards this year and would like to also thank our partners,

its customers.

our customers and our suppliers for their part in our collective success.”

Gray & Adams has a hugely successful history at the awards, having won its first two awards in 2016 for OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) of the Year and Refrigerated Trailer of the Year. It then went on to win awards for Refrigerated Rigid of the Year in 2017 and 2018 and further Refrigerated Trailer of the Year Awards in 2017, 2018, 2019

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Awards won in 2021

Lifetime Achievement Award 2021: Jim Gray Snr With a strong eye for detail, down-to-earth attitude and ability to think outside of the box, Jim was at the forefront of design innovation in the industry for his entire career. His relentless commitment to quality and innovation has changed the industry forever and is the engine which drives Gray and Adams’ growth and success to this day. His commitment to the cold chain, direction of design innovation in the industry and leadership of exceptional engineering and operations was admired by all who knew him - from our team to our industry peers, our customers and our suppliers.

Refrigerated Trailer of the Year 2021: Sainsbury’s eCool Sainsbury’s has been working with Gray & Adams for over 20 years and in that time, has built a strong partnership based on trust, quality and a shared synergy around keeping quality at the heart of their service. Having tested the demonstrator trailer in one of the very first customer trials in late February 2021, Sainsbury’s is the first business to purchase the technology in the UK.

Innovation Award 2021: Vector eCool with Carrier Transicold Through close collaboration and a special partnership with Carrier Transicold, the businesses worked together to collectively bring the first ever fully electric trailer to UK roads in 2021: Vector eCool. The eCool combines Carrier Transicold’s ‘E-Drive’ all-electric technology with a new cutting-edge energy recovery and storage system, housed in a Gray & Adams trailer which has been engineered to its exacting standards.

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A partnership to be proud of: collaborating with Lancashire DAF Lancashire DAF are a UK distributor of DAF trucks, supplying DAF chassis cabs and related products to operators across the country.

With a longstanding relationship between Lancashire DAF and Gray & Adams, we spoke with its Managing Director, Paul Entwistle to discuss the collaboration process and industry trends.

Tell us a bit about the business and your role?

of the end product. Vehicle loading calculations, axle weights and centre of gravity are also important pieces of information that need to be considered. We need to work collaboratively throughout the process, sharing this key information so we provide a vehicle that is not only practical to use, but also meets all legal requirements.

I’m the Managing Director across both of our businesses, Lancashire DAF and Lothian DAF, which has sites in Loanhead and Bathgate, both near Edinburgh.

We’re one of the biggest fleet suppliers for DAF Trucks UK, with 2,000 products sold last year. We are primarily a chassis supplier, but some of our products are made to order and are bespoke, which is when close collaboration with Gray & Adams is important.

We also liaise closely with the customer, so we can ascertain how they intend to operate the vehicle as this will help inform the final design. Additionally, as our vehicles most commonly operate on the high street, we must ensure that drivers have correct, easy and safe access to the load at all times and that new technologies including cameras, safety sensors and direct vision are correctly specified and fitted in order to minimise the risk to the public, who are often in close proximity to these large vehicles.

Tell us about the relationship you have with Gray & Adams and how has it been beneficial to the businesses Everyone knows everyone in this business and Gray & Adams are renowned for being one of the premium body builders. Many of our customers source the chassis from us and the body from Gray & Adams so we work in partnership to ensure our products are compatible. The most important thing for us in the relationship is clear communication. Our two businesses are very open with each other which is why we’ve worked so well together for the past 35 years. We’ve always found the team at Gray & Adams to be highly skilled and professional.

What are the key opportunities in the industry from a Lancashire DAF perspective?

Alternative fuels are going to be the next opportunity, but from my perspective, I don’t think we’ll be seeing hydrogen as a major fuel source for around 5-10 years. We really need to start considering the generations in front of us – there’s some good conversations happening but we need to start taking action, particularly with reducing CO2 emissions for trucks and heavy goods vehicles. We have seen the rapid introduction of electric refrigeration on rigid rigid vehicles.

This again involves close cooperation with the body builder to ensure the vehicle is supplied with the correct PTO or alternative drive system to allow the fridge to take power from our much cleaner Euro 6 engines. Electric trucks are a significant investment, so operators need to be confident that the infrastructure is there to support the change.

Tell us about the process of collaboration on the rigid body products between the two businesses and how it benefits the end user?

The main thing to take into consideration is the wheelbase of the chassis as well as other elements such as, whether it’s a day cab or a sleeper cab, the type of air stack, critical for fridge clearances, and also the position of other chassis mounted ancillaries. These factors will all affect the design

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Championing local with Farmlay Eggs “After my initial purchase of a double deck, I was delighted, but the feedback from our drivers was that the increased height of the double deck was providing new challenges within the parameters of a standard loading bay. My intention was to keep purchasing double decks, but I wanted to speak with the team at Gray & Adams and find a solution.”

Since the inception of the business in 1957, Gray & Adams has served a diverse range of customers within the UK and created bespoke solutions for each customer’s individual needs. With innovation at the heart of the business, Gray & Adams endeavours to solve customer problems and add value to their businesses, through nurturing close relationships with customers and understanding the challenges and opportunities that arise in their day-to-day operations.

Gray & Adams met with Robert and the team at Farmlay to discuss finding a solution and the stepped roof double deck trailer was a result of this meeting. The new trailer design with a stepped roof completely negated the challenge of working within limiting parameters at customer depots.

One such customer that Gray & Adams has serviced through innovation is Farmlay Eggs. Based in Aberdeenshire, the business has been in operation since 1946 and now services the major supermarkets in the UK with quality eggs from their flock of over one million hens.

The solution, designed by Gray & Adams, avoided the need for depots to make expensive modifications to their loading bays to accommodate double deck trailers, thus adding value to the whole supply chain. The stepped roof double deck trailer design is now patented to Gray & Adams.

Managing Director of Farmlay, Robert Chapman tells us of the relationship, “Being Aberdeenshire based, we are very local to the Gray & Adams Fraserburgh depot, and I bought my first double deck trailer in 2010. Being based some distance away from many of our customers’ depots, Farmlay took the decision to operate double deck trailers to cut our operational costs and maximise our efficiencies.”

Robert also shared with us his thoughts on the service he receives from the team at Gray & Adams, “The service we receive is absolutely first class.”

He goes on, “I’ve always felt that the team go out of their way to understand your business and they are happy to present new and innovative ideas, but the sales team certainly don’t force you down a route which ultimately isn’t going to be right for you. They are a large company who operate like a small business, listening to their customers and ensuring you get the same level of service, no matter if you are putting in a large value order or a smaller one, you get treated the same.”

He adds, “Back in 2010, there was some discussion of lowering CO2 emissions within the industry, but it wasn’t as prevalent as what it is now, so at the time, this wasn’t the main motivation for purchasing the double deck trailers, however, I’m certainly glad I did as the conversation around protecting the environment has become more prominent.

The double deck trailers significantly reduced the number of journeys our drivers made which has had a positive effect on not only our environmental impact, but it has also improved our profitability too.”

He then adds, “The aftercare service is also great, nothing is too much trouble for the repairs team. Farmlay feel really valued and that’s why I, in turn value the relationship with them.”

As the business and customer base grew, Robert then approached the Gray & Adams team about a challenge his drivers were facing. He explains,

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Keeping the supply chain running with Creed Foodservice Gray & Adams customer, Creed Foodservice is a national foodservice provider founded in 1972 by the Creed family, servicing a range of sectors including the care, education, and hospitality sectors throughout the UK. Creed is part of the supply chain that ensures the needs of school children and residents in care homes are met, which has been an incredibly important service, especially throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

CUSTOMER PROBLEM: In 2017, Creed opened a depot in High Wycombe to further expand its operational capabilities which enabled the business to move produce overnight between its established depot in Ilkeston to assist in servicing their customers. During this time, the operations team at Creed, approached Gray & Adams for an innovative solution to make this process more efficient.

WORKING COLLABORATIVELY: Due to the strong relationship between the two businesses and the Gray & Adams reputation for innovation, Creed looked to the team at Gray & Adams to assist on working collaboratively to provide a solution for moving up to 4,000 product items per night between their depots.

SOLUTION: When approached, the Gray & Adams team suggested a double deck trailer for all Creed’s internal operations and deliveries. Having traditionally bought 18 and 12 tonne rigids as well as single deck trailers, these vehicles shall continue to service the customer depot, providing Creed Foodservice with a varied fleet of trailers and vehicles that will maximise their operational capabilities and allow their service to be fit for purpose whilst servicing a multitude of sectors.

With a strong reputation, Creed values its people and its customers which is one of the reasons the business chose to partner with Gray & Adams.

Laura Thatcher, Marketing Manager tells us,

IMPACT:

“As a business built on family values, we really value customer service and a friendly, collaborative approach and our people play a vital role in making this happen. As this is something we portray to our customers, it’s important to us that we work with similar companies that share our ethos throughout the supply chain and Gray & Adams fits the bill for us. Our operations department has been working with Gray & Adams for a number of years and they have provided various solutions that support our unique capabilities to service specialised market sectors.”

The impact of the strategic use of the double deck trailer between depots has been incredibly positive. This addition to the fleet has allowed Creed to efficiently move high volumes of product between depots, overnight, in order to ensure they continue to service their own customers throughout the country, with the highest levels of service. The double deck trailer reduces the need for multiple journeys between two depots, not only reducing operational costs but reducing the carbon footprint of the business.

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CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL:

He adds of the relationship,

Richard Frost, Head of Operations, tells us,

“Gray & Adams, like Creed really value their people and that comes through when talking to team as they are so passionate about what they do, and they really care about customers.

For example, due to one of our main customers being the education sector, which closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, naturally our business was affected to some degree. Gray & Adams were very supportive during this time which we really appreciated – that level of care is one of the reasons we will continue to work with them.”

“Creed has a fantastic working relationship with Gray & Adams. The team worked with us closely to provide a solution from early in the process of acquiring the new depot, therefore it felt that we were working in partnership during this time rather than a traditional customer – supplier relationship.”

Richard then explains,

“Their reputation for innovation precedes them, and they are always quick to incorporate new technology. At Creed we are always delighted to seek out innovations within the market and trial them within our own business. An example to this has been hydro-electric technology from Carrier that has been built within the units - I believe Creed were one of the first companies to incorporate these into the specifications we required from Gray & Adams.”

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The BIG interview: Tony Winterbottom give you a sense of scale, we just put 52 new trailers into our fleet in the last three months. I used to source from several manufacturers and shared our business requirements with quite a few different suppliers. My experience from doing this was that we found Gray & Adams to be the best quality product around to suit our operation and we’ve been working together for over 25 years. When sourcing from other manufacturers, we found that they were often breaking down after two or three years. Having done that work, we’ve now got a set of preferred suppliers and we know that we’re buying the best trailers in the market from Gray & Adams – they last the course, with a quality that is a step above.

For this edition’s BIG Interview, we sat down with Tony Winterbottom, General Manager of Operational Support at Martin Brower, to find out a bit more about his business, industry experience and relationship with Gray & Adams.

Can you tell us a bit about your career and role within Martin Brower?

I’ve been working at Martin Brower for 27 years – I started as a driver initially and did a few years in that role. Then we opened a distribution centre in Basingstoke in 1999 and I began training new drivers, before taking on a role as Shift Manager. Later, I took on further opportunities as Assistant Transport Manager, Transport Manager and National Transport Manager before becoming General Manager of Operational Support. My role looks after everything the business needs to operate its fleet – from truck operations to health and safety and resourcing our delivery teams.

How do you feel the Martin Brower business aligns to the Gray & Adams business?

I think we understand one another’s businesses very well, it’s been a key element to our synergy over the years. They work so hard to understand every part of what we do, and as a result, they have built up such a detailed knowledge of what we need within a very detailed and complex set of specifications in our fleet. They ensure we’re always fit for purpose in our investment, and it really adds value to have that depth of understanding on tap. Another part of the big picture for me is their integrity and honesty. If the team at Gray & Adams don’t believe they can do it or it won’t work for us, they don’t do it. They are experts in their field and there is a great deal of trust between us as a result.

In recent times, I’ve been back behind the wheel and doing a few deliveries myself, which gives me a useful perspective on our fleet technology and how well it is working to support our drivers. An important part of my job is making sure that we’re continuously developing our fleet specifications to make the fleet more effective, efficient, or safe. For example, I’m around 5’11 and when I was driving, tail lift buttons were waist height which made using them fairly uncomfortable to use so we added an extra set of buttons near the floor on the side wall in our specifications.

When this was rolled out, drivers came up to thank me for making their job a little bit easier. I get a lot of job satisfaction when I get feedback from our drivers at the coal face – it makes my job feel worthwhile.

What are the key innovations in the industry in 2021 from your perspective?

There are a lot of interesting sustainable innovations which we’re looking at in the longer term. Often, new technology and systems will be better suited to us once they’ve had a chance to develop and become more deeply embedded throughout the industry. That said, we did a trial with the Vector eCool in 2021 and it worked very well for us. We’ve ordered 24 and are potentially looking at running them for ten years, instead of eight to help offset the lifetime investment costs.

How long has Martin Brower been working with Gray & Adams?

At Martin Brower we don’t do huge annual miles, but we do make several drops a day and we have heavy utilisation, working for around 18 hours per day. Our business is hard on its trailers, and they have very high wear and tear, so the lifetime of our fleet is usually on an eight-year rotation. To

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How does Martin Brower ensure it always stays at the forefront of industry innovation?

For us, it always starts with collaboration and key industry partnerships - like the one we have with Gray & Adams. In my experience, you always do a better job when you have a collaborative approach and work closely with experts to find the right solution.

Whenever we have a challenge to solve, or an innovation we’d like to incorporate into our fleet, we will speak to Gray & Adams to come up with a workable solution – they help us to engineer problems out of our trailers as often as they help us to incorporate a new feature, and they always have one eye on incremental improvements too. For example, our logistics specification was developed to include barrel carriers, with brackets and electrics to match our system, delivered as plug and play options which are easy to change. These barrel carriers save approximately 5,000 journeys for us each year, given we don’t have to put empty barrels in our trailers and can maintain a maximum 42 cages of product, whilst the empty barrels live under the chassis.

These save us so much space and time – it’s little things like that which add the extra value and enjoyment for the team making the deliveries.

business like ours and we think our investment in Vector eCool trailers from Gray & Adams and Carrier Transicold is a step in the right direction to move away from this model of operation and reduce our reliance on fossil fuel.

We also moved our fleet to biodiesel which meant recently we had to change our truck supplier to Scania to make this possible and further demonstrate our commitment to improved sustainability and reduction in carbon emissions.

Another sustainability consideration for Martin Brower is mid-life refurbishment to the parts of our fleet which are most heavily worn, such as the tail lift, doors, or floor.

The quality of a Gray & Adams build is so high that very few elements require replacement, increasing the overall sustainability of the fleet.

We tend to adopt innovations that simplify the job for our drivers, for example a power close tail lift. Tail lifts can be heavy, and our drivers were having to lift them several times a day. We also have a tail guard max which puts the brakes on automatically when reversing and some of our trailers and rigids now incorporate a rear camera system to help driver visibility, both of which help us to avoid minor accidents. Little improvements in ergonomic design can be a lifesaver to our drivers and that’s a real focus for us when we are considering innovation.

Are there any other key drivers which will impact how your fleet evolves moving forwards?

The level of quality required is a huge part of our considerations for the future of our fleet. Gray & Adams understand every detail of our operations and provide A1 quality every time, which is hugely important to us. We also need technology which helps us to do a better job. Maybe we’d look at more urban trailers to give more flexibility and visibility with driver and safety aids such as a wireless 360-camera system.

How important is sustainability when considering the specifications of your fleet and how does Gray & Adams help you to achieve this?

Finally, your thoughts about the overall service and aftercare received from the Gray & Adams team?

With the Government removing the levy on gasoil in 2022, sustainability and greener solutions are a real hot topic throughout the industry. The cost of this is massive to a

I believe that Gray & Adams make the best trailers in the marketplace and our fleet engineers and drivers are always excited when they arrive – it’s a hard job and we reward our team fairly, but if I can make it easier through systems, technology, and equipment, then I will do it. We also get great feedback from our distribution centres which also ticks my boxes. I can go home feeling like I’ve made a positive difference and that’s what it’s all about for me.

I’m a massive fan of their work. They provide us with the right kit for the job every time. We get a lifetime of value from their products and services, and they make me look good to my team, which is a bonus!

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WORKING COLLABORATIVELY: Transport Manager for Booths, Craig Stopforth, says of the relationship, “Gray & Adams has supplied Booths since 2010, which was before I joined the business, and I continue to keep the valuable relationship with the Gray & Adams sales team due to their ability to take a deep dive into our business needs and make recommendations based on new technology and innovation. We’ve traditionally used rigids but Gray & Adams were the ones that actually recommended we explored working with the urban trailers.”

SOLUTION: Booths ordered three urban trailers fitted with the Carrier Vector HE 19 and 10.6m twin axel in 2021 and has recently taken delivery of these vehicles.

Craig said of the new order, “We’ve had great feedback from our drivers so far, due to the current HGV driver shortage facing the UK, it’s important to Booths that we regularly engage with our staff and listen to their needs and feedback, so it’s great to see that our team find the urbans easier and more efficient to manoeuvre round our stores’ delivery yards, which can be quite tight. The other benefit is that Gray & Adams fitted the trailers with roller shutter rear doors that can be operated from the cab which has been great for our drivers in terms of making their roles easier and deliveries more efficient.”

Embracing modern innovation with Booths Supermarkets

He adds, “Rigid bodies definitely have a place within our business, but it was great to see Gray & Adams take the time to understand our needs & the market and then suggest something different to enhance our operational efficiency.”

IMPACT:

Booths Supermarkets has been in business since 1847, serving the North of England through 27 stores and various online channels, including Amazon. Booths currently operates 30 trucks with 16 trailers, half being Gray & Adams built. The relationship between Gray & Adams and Booths began in 2010 and the strength of this partnership has been recently bolstered by the delivery of three urban trailers.

The urban trailers have provided Booths with other positive impacts around their business. Craig tells us that with the internal layout of the urban trailer, more stock can be transported in one delivery compared with a rigid body vehicle.

He tells us, “We have found that with the urban trailer, we have capacity for an extra two to four pallets on each delivery, which has made a positive impact on our efficiencies as well as reducing our carbon footprint throughout the business by reducing the number of journeys.”

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL: Craig finishes, “I would give Gray & Adams a 10 out of 10 for customer service every time, the collaborative working, and partnership approach has been the correct route for our business.

Booths also value their approach to innovation and the fact that Gray & Adams have been the first to offer trailers that integrate Vector eCcol technology. Sustainability is important to Booths, so we have ordered three more urban trailers with the eCool technology as from the team at G&A as well as a further two rigids, fitted to DAF tractor units to further enhance our operational capabilities in 2022.”

Booths has traditionally operated a fleet of rigids and curtainsiders to serve its own stores, which brings the benefit of managing its own delivery schedule to facilitate fluctuating needs at short notice.

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Collaborative innovation: working with Nagel Langdons Leading temperature-controlled food logistics business, Nagel Langdons is the Nagel-Group provider for delivery of international imports and collection of exports to and from the UK. It distributes throughout the whole of the UK across its eight sites and can deliver chilled or frozen pallets to almost any location in the country, normally within 24 hours whilst also servicing Ireland.

Nagel Langdons offers a shared-user distribution service which treats temperature-controlled consignments in the same way as the national ambient pallet networks operate – it doesn’t just transport and deliver full loads of product but will also collect, consolidate, and distribute down to a single small pallet, to its destination.

Having been established in 1915, the business now supports a range of sectors, including food service, wholesale, and retail, delivering seven days per week. Its network currently handles over 40,000 pallets every week to more than 3,000 sites, on behalf of over 1,400 customers.

To facilitate this complex logistics operation, Nagel Langdons has worked with Gray & Adams for several decades to develop and build a range of refrigerated vehicles for its fleet. To date, this has included dual temperature: rigids, urban trailers, and long semi-trailers (LST’s). The most recent order was placed for eleven 26-ton rigids and five urban semi-trailers to meet the arduous pace of Nagel Langdons’ demanding operations.

Tyrone reflects and compares this ethos to the Gray & Adams business, “The similarity between our businesses is really that Gray & Adams don’t mind how many orders we put in for vehicles, or how many we order at once. For them, it’s about what’s right for our business and that really sets them apart from other manufacturers.”

The requirement from Nagel Langdons is that each vehicle they purchase is robust and long lasting, with a focus on innovation and continual performance improvements to the fleet which adds long-term value to the products.

“For example, on one project, which looked at automatic loading trailers, Gray & Adams helped us to analyse the software between a Gray & Adams build and a competitor build. As part of this they developed a completely bespoke rear to the trailer with a moveable bar to couple with a fifth wheel at our Bridgwater warehouse loading dock.

Subsequently, they built two separate designs for two different floors. That level of service, versatility and the aftercare we receive is really impressive.”

Tyrone Lanaway, Fleet Engineer at Nagel Langdons, explained, “We’re always testing our fleet and looking for new ways to improve performance through innovation. For me, there is always something new that I would like to try out and, in fact, I have built a relationship with the Gray & Adams team where I can share my ideas – no matter how far left of field they may be. They will talk to me about trends, what other businesses are doing and how they can support these ideas.

From cost reduction improvements to solar panels on the roof or new power sources for our refrigeration equipment - the creative collaboration, trusted sounding board and industry insight we get from Gray & Adams is a great bonus.

I know that whatever we ask, they will do the research and provide informed advice, covering the pros and the cons and helping to make our decisions easier.”

Managing Director of Nagel Langdons, Arran Osman, also said of the relationship, “The long lasting, trust-based relationship we have developed over many years with Gray & Adams remains a considerable factor within our ongoing success. We continue to create a genuinely unique offer to add reliable value to wholesale and food service supply chains across the country. This is complimented by our vital service partnerships, none more so than the flexibility and innovation we can depend upon from Gray & Adams.”

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The Fraserburgh 55: Gray & Adams apprenticeship scheme reaches new heights Earlier this year, Gray & Adams (Fraserburgh) took on a new group of 15 young people as apprentices, with the support of the AEG and Skills Development Scotland.

Gray & Adams Doncaster, Dunfermline and Belfast all run similar apprenticeship schemes, with the largest group of young people being based at Fraserburgh. Anyone taking on a Gray & Adams apprenticeship would choose a discipline from a range of options, including hydraulic, mechanical or refrigeration engineering, joinery, welding, spray painting and coach building.

Each year Fraserburgh has developed and supported around 40 young people through its apprenticeship scheme and continues to invest in the development of apprentices as part of its commitment to the next generation of industry talent.

This new group of 15 takes this number to 55 in 2021, as Gray & Adams approaches its 65th year in business.

Gray & Adams has a long-serving, highly skilled team of tradespeople ready to pass on their expertise, some of whom have worked for the business for 40 years or more. With such a longstanding commitment to this scheme throughout the group, apprentices are seen as the future of the business. The company has several former apprentices that have succeeded in working their way up into more senior roles. For example, apprentice welders that are now welding department managers or refrigeration engineers, and assembly operatives that have become assistant line managers. This group of young people can be sure of a range of diverse and interesting opportunities to grow their skillsets and be part of Gray & Adams’ successes in the years to come.

Ruben Morrison First Year Refrigeration Apprentice: Refrigeration Shop Favourite skill so far?

I love working on install jobs - particularly the electrical parts.

I’ve learned a lot!

What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?

It’s a local business and a good company to work for. I’ve learned so many skills and techniques and I love being so hands on in the job too.

We spoke to three of Fraserburgh’s apprentices to find out a bit more about their experiences in working with us.

Why is Gray & Adams a good place to work?

In the short time I’ve been here, I’ve learned how to behave in a workplace. I really love the electrical work and the team look after us so well. They’re friendly and it’s a great environment to work in.

If another young person was considering an apprenticeship with Gray & Adams, what would you say?

I’d tell them to take it! It’s a great place to work and everyone is so helpful - you learn so much here.

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William Smith Second Year Welding and Fabrications Apprentice: Lifting Floors Favourite skill so far?

Just welding as a whole – I love it!

What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?

I really enjoy the mix of hands-on learning and college work.

It’s great to learn something new and it’s very different to everything I’ve done before it.

Josh Jamieson Second Year Apprentice Welder

Why is Gray & Adams a good place to work?

Favourite skill so far?

Its reliable and safe, with lots to learn. We’re busy and we get good wages for an apprenticeship too.

Probably the welding and fabricating – it’s so interesting.

What do you enjoy most about your apprenticeship?

If another young person was considering an apprenticeship with Gray & Adams, what would you say?

I love learning new skills all the time. I also think Gray & Adams is a great place to work and the people are brilliant.

Go for it – It’s good fun and there’s so much to pick up and learn.

Why is Gray & Adams a good place to work?

There’s lots of training on how to use everything and how to set up properly. You’re never on your own and there’s always someone there to help you.

If another young person was considering an apprenticeship with Gray & Adams, what would you say?

Go for it – it’s a brilliant place. I think it really puts you on the right career path and there’s so much to learn and do.

I love it here.

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Long service: a lifetime of value Testament to the way the business is run, Gray & Adams has several employees who have served with the business for many years. Our company has been built on their commitment and high-quality work, and we would like to take this opportunity to profile their careers and share our sincere thanks for their service.

Keith Craighead: 25 years’ service (Fraserburgh) Keith Craighead celebrates 25 years’ service at Fraserburgh and remembers his first impression of Gray & Adams as a big, local employer and a busy place to be. He had family members working in the business and he was a joiner to trade at the time, he knew they were looking for a permanent, full-time member of staff and was employed

by James Gray. Starting in the Door Department, he also worked in a few other parts of the factory and is now in the Completion Department as a Supervisor.

George Whyte: 40 years’ service (Fraserburgh) George joined the Merchant Navy when he left school and served his time as an engineer. When he left, he began working at Mitchell’s Sheet Metalwork’s in Fraserburgh for about nine years, before being offered a position at Gray & Adams and taken on as a welder. Throughout his time with Gray & Adams he worked as a welder, a line manager in the Stainless-Steel Fabrication Department and in the Calibration Control and Quality Inspection Department, where he worked up until his retirement in November 2021.

He said of his time with us so far, “I came in as an everyday worker and worked my way up to jump grades as team leader and then supervisor, taking on more responsibility as I developed my skills. The people, the work and the environment are all things that keep me going, it’s a busy job and I do a bit of everything but I’m very proud to work here. Being from Fraserburgh myself, Gray & Adams is a fantastic company to work for and it’s a stable job working for a big local success story. If you do your bit, the team always looks after you and that’s something that keeps me really happy in my job.”

He said of his career with Gray & Adams, “Back when I started working here, I loved making prototypes – I particularly enjoyed being part of the development of the first ever lifting deck. From making the deck, to building the hydraulics – it was a very different set of processes for the build at that time. There were no lasers to guide or cut, it was all done by hand. It gave us a huge sense of satisfaction at the end to see the finished product.

Peter Northedge – 30 years’ service (Doncaster) Peter Northedge has been a part of the Doncaster team at Gray & Adams for 30 years, having previously worked in manufacturing for another trailer company. Having had a few friends and colleagues here, he was asked to come and interview, met the team and never looked back.

Another part of my job which has given me great fulfilment is working with our apprentices and bringing them on. One of my former apprentices is now managing the Chassis Fabrication Department – I get on with him very well and love seeing how he has developed his skills over the years.

In fact, the main thing that has kept me here for so long, is the team. Gray & Adams is such a dependable family company, and everyone has time to talk to you – even at the very top of the business, everyone is approachable, and they really look after their people. That’s one of the main reasons I’ve stayed here for so long!”

Peter started in repairs and construction, and then moved into solely working on repairs to the trailer bodies before also learning welding on the chassis. He did several years of that before moving onto the shop floor as a repairs foreman, later taking on the role of foreman.

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Peter said, “My greatest achievement in my career with Gray & Adams is working my way up to reach the level of foreman and staying here for 30 years! It’s a very stable company which invests a lot in people. So much has changed over the years, from new technologies to our processes, we must continually improve and learn new skills over time to match the development of our products and new engineering innovations. I am proud to have kept on developing and growing my own expertise, and that of the whole team, during my time. It’s a family business, from the bottom to the top. I now have two sons working here – both on the repairs team! I think the way that the business looks after its people, especially throughout a challenging time such as the Covid-19 pandemic, is a real testament to its family values and its heritage.”

had Terry Lavery as my boss and mentor - he was able to share his invaluable experience with me throughout my whole career. How the Gray family have managed to build an industry leading business which is well known throughout Europe for quality, and ensure it remains a family business, is something that deserves the utmost respect.”

David Mair, 42 years’ service (Fraserburgh) Recently retired Panel Manufacture Operative, David Mair, worked for Gray & Adams in Fraserburgh for 42 years.

Colin Crawley – 22 years’ service (Northern Ireland)

David said,

Colin Crawley has been on the Gray & Adams team in Northern Ireland for 22 years, having gotten a week’s work placement through his dad, who also worked at Gray & Adams. During his placement, he was highly impressed by the work and the Foreman said to give him a call whenever I finished school. Colin started with Gray & Adams in June 1999 as an apprentice, and the rest is history!

“Having started in 1979, I think the most impressive thing about the business is the growth in the volume of vehicles being built now compared with then, from different technologies to new innovations and processes - it gets bigger and better all the time. I started learning how to make panels with Kenny Burnett, John Don, and Bill Sinclair – they taught me the job and I carried the learning with me throughout my whole career in the business. The way we train people means that I then passed the knowledge on and showed others how to do it. I’d like to sincerely thank Gray & Adams for having me working for them for all that time.”

Colin has worked his way through several roles during his time at Gray and Adams, including an Assembly Chargehand, Assembly Supervisor and Assistant Production Manager, and his current role is Production Manager.

Colin said, “My colleagues are undoubtedly the best thing about working for Gray & Adams. The commitment and support is second to none - we are a tight-knit bunch who pull together in all that we do. I also feel extremely lucky to have

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Reflections on 2021

by Andrew Brown, Sales Director, Doncaster

Covid-19 also caused unnecessary delays to Fraserburgh’s expansion plans. However, the business has made significant progress with this project and the new double deck factory is just coming online, which will see a significant increase in our production capabilities in this area.

September saw the return of the TCS&D Show and the company was successful in three awards. Innovation, in partnership with Carrier Transicold for the Vector eCool, Trailer of the Year for the Sainsbury’s Vector eCool and not least, Jim Gray Snr was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was accepted by his son, Peter.

I was particularly touched that the industry came together and got to their feet to applaud Jim’s legacy.

Our industry faces many challenges as we move into 2022.

The journey towards a net carbon future, driver shortages and, not least, further supply chain issues. However, throughout this challenging period, Gray & Adams has proved itself fit to meet these new challenges.

Like 2020, 2021 proved to be yet another unprecedented year. The year started on an extremely sombre note with news of the death of our founder Jim Gray Snr. I had known Jim most of my working life, he was the boss but also a teacher and mentor. An entrepreneur and visionary, our thoughts remain with James, Peter, and Marie.

For example, the Vector eCool is the UK’s first fully autonomous refrigerated electric trailer solution. During the first quarter of 2022, Doncaster’s production will, for the first time, be 65% on electric refrigeration. Our Double Deck products ensure that the shrinking driver pool can carry greater loads, more efficiently and with a smaller carbon footprint. We will also assist the industry in better planning to ensure we can deliver the goods that the market requires. Many customers, in the face of chassis shortages and long lead times, are working on a three-year replacement programme.

Jim would, however, have been intensely proud of the business today. For me, the brand is stronger than ever, and this is reflected in the unprecedented demand for the company’s products and services. This does not mean, however, that it is not without its challenges. Both manufacturing inflation and supply issues have exposed how vulnerable global supply chains have become.

We have been working closely with our customers to manage the repercussions of this with as little impact as possible. We must say a big thank you, to all our clients for their co-operation and understanding during this period.

I believe that 2022 will be as demanding as 2021. Perhaps even more so. However, if we plan ahead, communicate, collaborate and co-operate we can be assured that we will continue to succeed. In the words of Barack Obama, “We is the most powerful word in the English language.”

- If we work together, we are sure to overcome the challenges ahead.

It only remains for me to wish all of you and your families, a Happy Christmas, and a prosperous New Year.

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Staff spotlight: Robert Ritchie

Tell us about the roles you’ve held and how your career has progressed in the business from when you started till now.

I was an apprentice welder initially and did that for a couple of years – I loved it. Then an office-based job came up in the costing department. At the time, we only had one computer to do everything, so I was often handwriting everything. During this time, I began to show an interest in IT and when a couple of people left the business in that department, I did some training and worked hard on my own skills development to learn our systems, eventually becoming the IT Manager.

Tell us about your greatest achievement whilst working for Gray & Adams In terms of achievements, I think there have been lots of things I’m proud of. Perhaps starting the first email system – originally just one for the whole business and then implementing this throughout the business for everyone to access. It was an exciting time for technology, and I was proud to have rolled it out for the good of the business.

How long have you been working with Gray & Adams?

I’ve been with Gray & Adams for 35 Years – it was my first job straight from school.

What attracted you to the company initially?

What current innovation by Gray & Adams impresses you the most and why?

It was a big company, even back then, and I had family working here. My dad worked for Gray & Adams as a welder, and I was initially taken on as an apprentice welder, which I loved.

I think the scale and quality of the double deck trailers is amazing – it’s been on the market for many years, but still impresses me now.

If you could do someone else’s job (at Gray & Adams) for the day, whose would it be and why?

Tell us about your current role and what do you do day-to-day.

I’d be a welder again. I’d love to see if my old skills are still there!

I’m Group IT Manager now and I oversee all the systems and equipment for the whole Gray & Adams business across the UK. That includes things like the computers, servers, printers, the management of the network for over 200 users, and checking and upgrading security systems and protection. The latest projects have seen network switches, all wi-fi access points and all time and attendance terminals replaced across the group.

What is the best thing about working for Gray & Adams?

For me, the best thing is that I’m never sure what’s coming next – every day is different. Sometimes, the nature of my role means that I have a plan, but a new or unexpected challenge has presented itself that day, which means we must be agile and go with what is needed in the moment.

That keeps things fresh for me. I’d also say we’re well looked after at Gray & Adams. It’s a strong team with good people and it’s a very safe environment too – everything is controlled, and expertise applied to ensure we manage and mitigate risk, safely. It’s a fantastic place to work.

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Staff spotlight: Debbie Young How long have you been working with Gray & Adams?

I’ve been working at Gray & Adams in Dunfermline for around 25 and a half years.

Tell us about your current role and what do you do day-to-day.

I started as a receptionist in Dunfermline and then took on a role as stores administrator for a couple of years.

I then moved back to reception and took on more and more responsibilities, from maintaining attainment records to sales and purchase invoices. I do a little bit of most administration tasks, assisting both production management and the General Manager.

What attracted you to the company initially?

I was looking for a job and Gray & Adams were advertising in local paper – I’m from South Africa originally and it was a case of right place, right time for me.

Tell us about your greatest achievement whilst working for Gray & Adams Learning and keeping up with our finance packages and processes over the years – learning new skills and continual improvement is always something of a personal achievement for me.

If you could do someone else’s job (at Gray & Adams) for the day, whose would it be and why?

I would like to have a day in the drawing office! I’m amazed at how they take specifications and create a drawing from it – I think their job must be really satisfying and so integral to the quality that we’re known for as a business.

What current innovation by Gray & Adams impresses you the most and why?

There have been so many things I’ve been impressed with here at Dunfermline - I’ve seen some fantastic bodies produced over the years. More recently our close collaboration with Carrier Transicold has produced a new electric powered refrigerated trailer system. Leading edge technology which helps meet the global challenge of generating energy in a way that does not compromise our children’s future.

What is the best thing about working for Gray & Adams?

I like to see the new vehicles leaving the depot to be delivered to our customers as they look brilliant and dynamic. We have a wonderful team at Dunfermline and there are a lot of nice people who work at Gray & Adams, and that makes all the difference.

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION SINCE 1957

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