Member Article

Stockton firm invests £750k in sewer trucks

A Stockton business specialising in emergency drain clearing has splashed out £750,000 on four specialist trucks.

HCS Drain Services, a division of full-service civil engineering firm The Owen Pugh Group, has bought four of the 26-tonne Jetvac combination units.

They will be used primarily for cleaning large diameter sewers with high pressure water jetting and then removing the waste with powerful suction pumps.

The tricks, manufactured by Fuller Tankers, also have the capability to empty and clean septic tanks and wet wells, to control water flow and to assist in root cutting operations.

HCS hope the investment will help them to win new business from clients across the region including South Tyneside Council, Durham County Council and Middlesbrough Council.

General manager Dale Watson said: “The Jetvac units will give us greater flexibility in serving our existing client base ensuring we meet their ever increasing business needs as we move out of the recent recession.

“It will also increase our fleet of HGV vehicles to develop new business within the North East and to grow into new areas.”

Over the next three months the remaining three units will be delivered with two due to be based at the HCS headquarters in Arkgrove Industrial Estate in Stockton and two at Owen Pugh’s Blaydon base in Gateshead.

HCS Drain Services undertakes specialist work to help minimise the impact of severe flooding.

Despite ongoing economic challenges, The Owen Pugh Group has continued to invest heavily in its infrastructure, fleet, workforce and in the latest emerging technologies.

Earlier this year Owen Pugh opened a new £900k depot in Gateshead to accommodate the expansion of civil engineering arm, Owen Pugh GDC, and it recently announced an £80k investment in state-of-the-art survey equipment.

John Dickson, chairman of the Owen Pugh Group, said: “Owen Pugh continues on its growth trajectory and is building a solid base for the business in the future by investing in assets and improving capabilities and efficiencies across the business.”

The group, which employs over 370 staff across its divisions, is headquartered in Dudley near Cramlington, with other bases in Blaydon, Sunderland and Stockton-on-Tees, as well as Marsden Quarry.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .