As a first-class distributor and supplier of materials and plant, TG Lynes has been at the forefront of the UK’s mechanical services, heating, plumbing & air movement sectors since 1912. Now having reached more than 110 years of supplying the trade, the company continues to provide a top-quality service. Managing Director Andrew Ingram reflected over some of the company’s recent accomplishments as it travels towards a greener future. Report by Imogen Ward.
With more than 80% of its delivery destinations located in and around central London, TG Lynes realised a move towards sustainable thinking was crucial.
“We’ve really taken a holistic approach when it comes to sustainability,” Managing Director Andrew Ingram said. “We looked at the whole business because it’s not just one element that affects a carbon footprint Distribution vehicles have always been high on the agenda, and obviously, working in London we’ve continuously aimed to be ahead of the curve with our fleet.”
TG Lynes has a multitude of experience when it comes to the procurement and distribution of materials and plant. With a history dating all the way back to 1912, the company has maintained a strong presence across the UK’s MEP sector.
“Although often perceived as a homecounties-centric business, we do deliver further afield on a regular basis,” said Mr Ingram. “We make deliveries to Norfolk, Birmingham and Southampton daily. People may not realise, but we also offer a national service via application. We are aware of the environmental cost of that
kind of journey, which is why it is on application basis only. We make conscious efforts to ensure we aren’t travelling up and down the country without good reason.”
HVO on the go
With a fleet of 22 trucks, TG Lynes felt it important to start the transition towards a greener and cleaner fuel. Starting with the largest vehicles within its fleet, the company made the switch to HVO.
“Being based in London we are aware of the city’s air quality, and we are trying to minimise our impact on that,” Mr Ingram
explained. “We’ve started utilising HVO on our 18-tonne trucks, which are the least efficient vehicles in our fleet. We felt it important to start with these vehicles, because we were keen to make an immediate impact that offered the most gains.”
Having previously run on diesel, these trucks are now 90% more carbon efficient. As a bonus from the HVO implementation the trucks’ MPG performance has also improved by 10%. The company intends to extend this transition to more of its vehicles in the future.
“Obviously HVO is more expensive than diesel, and that has been a challenge,” Mr Ingram said; “but really, it’s important to look past that initial cost and understand the benefits of this fuel. We really make a conscious effort to factor that additional
cost into our budgeting process, because we really believe in the bigger picture.”
A new addition has also joined the company’s fleet, arriving in the form of an e-moped. Purchased as a fast response, localised distribution vehicle, the bike was the perfect choice for urgent order requests.
“With its zero tailpipe emissions, the e-moped is just another way we can work towards improving emissions in our local area,” Mr Ingram said. “It’s not a costly endeavour, but it certainly plays a part.”
Inspiring change
Fleet renewals are not the only positive change being made at TG Lynes. The company was also recently nominated for the HVR Net Zero Hero Award due to its continuous efforts.
“We’ve been on quite a positive journey whilst trying to reduce our environmental impact,” said Mr Ingram; “and the nomination really arose from the effort we m:ade
to improve. From LEDs to solar panels we even have a number of EV trucks on order as well. We are really proud of the progress we’ve made, and it was really nice to be put forward for this award.”
TG Lynes recently celebrated two years since the installation of solar panels on its 60,000 sqft facility in Endfield, London . Having saved 25 tonnes of carbon so far, its PV panels are certainly a solid investment. The installation currently fulfils more than 35% of the company’s energy requirements, with the rest being covered by 100% sustainable energy sourced from wind farms.
Inspired by its own achievements, TG Lynes also revitalised its company car fleet, with 60% hybrids and 40% full EVs.
A one-stop shop
Customers who require plant but do not always want the commitment of purchasing the equipment have found the perfect solution in TG Lynes’ Plant Hire service.
“It has really become a one-stop shop for our customers,” Mr Ingram said. “Through this service, our customers can order their products and get the required tooling at the same time. In doing so, they get a stress-free service that is quick and easy to request. Also, because the products are coming from the same place, and delivered on the same vehicle, our customers don’t have to sit around waiting for everything to arrive separately.
“Ultimately, we want to make our customers’ lives as easy as possible: it’s really an integral part of the business, one that we are proud to offer.”
According to Mr Ingram, TG Lynes’ Plant Hire service is incredibly popular with clients; so much so that the company recently made the decision to expand it: “Following our partnership with REMS we decided to expand the plant hire incorporating a service centre for the product range. So, not only can we hire out REMS products, but we can now sell and service them too. That expansion was really driven by our desire to make interacting with TG Lynes as easy as possible.”
This service also encourages a culture of reuse. Rather than buying plant that is only needed for one project, customers can hire out the products and feel-good knowing that they are not contributing to landfill.
As it looks to the future, TG Lynes intends to continue down the road of sustainability, whilst also expanding the company’s capabilities.
“We are currently headed towards a product portfolio expansion,” Mr Ingram explained. “With this, we plan to increase our usable warehouse space by another 7,000 square feet, and we’d like to have this completed by the beginning of 2024.
“The future at TG Lynes is very exciting. There is a brilliant atmosphere here, and everyone really cares about what they do. Being able to make a positive difference to our environmental impact is also a real driver. We hope that our story will motivate and inspire others to take the leap into sustainability,” he concluded. “Hopefully, it will give them ideas about what can be achieved.”
