Rhys’ Story

Engineering Innovation – An interview with Ian Smith

Gray & Adams recognise the key to our long-term success is our people and commitment to innovation. As one of our values, Gray & Adams put innovation at the heart of everything we do, we have continuously strived to develop new solutions to meet our customer’s requirements, as well as taking the ever-growing environmental concerns into our consideration.

One of the individuals responsible for innovation in the engineering space is Group Engineering Manager, Ian Smith. Ian has worked with Gray & Adams in the Fraserburgh HQ for over a decade, with extensive experience in the commercial vehicle industry prior to joining the business. As we leave the year of our 65th anniversary behind and look ahead to 2023, We have asked Ian to reflect on what milestones from an engineering perspective have been most memorable and discuss what is next for the industry. Ian tells us,

“We can’t discuss milestones without first mentioning the double deck trailer which was originally developed by Gray & Adams in the 1990’s. Since the introduction of this product to UK roads, we have continuously worked on the betterment and development of this product, constantly responding to market needs. Gray & Adams is focused on the longevity of our products, so we are constantly developing and testing ways we can be superior to our competitors in this area.”

Whilst moving on to discuss the changes in legislation in the industry, Ian shares a key insight from his experience,

“Prior to 2012, we did not have type approval to deal with and we just focused on the UK legislation requirements that were in place as the time. With the change in 2012, the type approval process for trailers has been slightly more challenging as we have to now balance customer wants with what is appropriate legally, however, this has carved out an opportunity for Gray & Adams to be a market leader in our sector, as we slowly began to take on more of an advisory role rather than a body builder with a sales team. Using our expertise, we are able to guide our customer into deciding what’s right for their business and brand but within the confines of the law. An example of this is when we discuss LED lighting on a trailer, it’s almost the ‘bling’ of a trailer so to speak and looks aesthetically pleasing, however we need to be mindful of what is within the limits of the law, as lights can be distracting for other road users so they are an element that is regulated.”

The customer advisory experience is something that Gray & Adams has become synonymous with over the years, our team of experts ensure that the customer is making the right choice and it is interesting that this strategy impacts every member of the team. Moving onto more recent history, Ian then discusses the partnership with Carrier Transicold and the introduction of the Vector eCool.

“Working with the team at Carrier to develop the eCool was a really smooth and enjoyable process for the engineering team. We knew from the start of the partnership what both businesses wanted to achieve, and it was just a matter of minor tweaks to get it to where it is now. They initially came and spoke with us confidentially about the idea which was a real pleasure that Gray & Adams was in the forefront of their mind as a partner for innovation. The biggest challenge with electric commercial vehicles does remain the type approval that I touched on earlier, we want to make this a more streamlined process and we are working with the relevant bodies to do so. At the moment, each trailer needs to go through an individual inspection which does incur some cost, however Gray & Adams and Carrier absorb this in R&D rather than putting it on to the customer who is really trying to make better and more sustainable choices. We managed to catch up with the Department of Transport at the Commercial Vehicle Show earlier this year where we raised this as a red tape issue for further discussion.”

Ian then moves on to discussing from his perspective, what is next for the business,

“Sustainability and environmental issues are obviously key topics and will remain so into 2023. Electric vehicles are a huge focus in the industry at the moment and they definitely have their place, however I am personally excited to see the development of hydrogen powered engines. Hydrogen is a bit of an underdog compared to electric at the moment, but I am keen to see the capabilities explored in more depth. End of life issues and disposing of the batteries in electric vehicles is something that still needs research and development so I think it is important that we explore OTHER alternative fuels at the same time.“

Green livery after James Hall & Co. Ltd takes delivery of first SPAR electric trailer from Gray & Adams

James Hall & Co. Ltd’s Transport and Logistics department has taken delivery of its first fully electric refrigerated trailer.

It is the first in the company’s fleet to have an electric refrigerated motor rather than a diesel one, and it eliminates diesel costs as well as Co2 emissions from the trailer refrigeration unit.

The new trailer, which will transport products to SPAR stores across the North of England, has had a special green livery put on to it to mark it out from others in the fleet. While on site at the company’s SPAR Distribution Centre in Preston, there is a facility to charge the battery and pre-chill the load space. When off-site, the battery pack provides a five-hour reserve run time to support the trailer’s fridge when it is not moving and when it is without a mains supply. The investment into the new trailer is part of James Hall & Co. Ltd’s continuous replacement programme and the company’s commitment to running a greener fleet. Ian Farnworth, Fleet Engineering Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said:

“We are very pleased to take delivery of the new trailer and it looks fantastic in its special livery. It is a first for us as a business and the trailer is already delivering savings when out on the road. We will be monitoring its performance with interest over the coming weeks and months. While it is supporting a reduction of costs on diesel as an associated benefit, at the forefront of the decision to invest in the trailer is the benefits it brings to the environment. We are also aware of an increasing number of cities and metropolitan areas within our patch that are implementing clean air zones and we are conscious of these factors when making investment decisions.”

Ian shares his thoughts on the long standing relationship with Gray & Adams

“We have a really good, longstanding relationship with Gray & Adams. We are always very pleased with the trailers we receive, and these keep our SPAR distribution service on the road, and in turn, support communities across the North of England.”