Hydram Engineering driving on after fleet investment

A County Durham metal fabrications firm says it is on the road to further success after bolstering its fleet to meet rising customer demand.

Hydram Engineering has added a 16-tonne Mercedes-Benz Atego to its operations.

The truck, which is the largest in Hydram’s fleet, was sourced through the business’ long-running partnership with North East dealer Bell Truck and Van.

Based in Chilton, Hydram, which was bought in 2018 by US-owned Dynamic Aerospace and Defense Group, provides sub-contract services across all aspects of precision sheet metal profiling, forming and fabrication, and powder coating and assembly.

David Lowes, purchasing manager, said the company’s increasing reputation and customer list meant it needed a new vehicle to help keep pace with its growth.

He said: “We’re very busy and some of our products are heavy, so we felt a vehicle which offered a higher payload would be beneficial in helping us to meet the rise in customer demand.

“The new truck’s footprint is no bigger than previous versions, but it has enabled us to increase efficiency and improve cost and other controls by reducing the extent to which we rely on third-party transport providers to support our in-house operation.

“We pride ourselves in going ‘above and beyond’ in terms of the service we provide to our customers, and this means the avoidance of unplanned vehicle downtime is crucial,” added David.

“The Atego has proved over the years to be exceptionally reliable and has given us the flexibility we need to respond quickly to changing requirements.”

Bell Truck and Van has depots across the North East, with its Newcastle base supported by sites in Billingham, Stockton and Spennymoor, County Durham.