Member Article

Truck washing firm creates four new jobs in expansion

A specialist truck washing firm based in Nuneaton is creating four new jobs as it expands its operations.

Truck Smart is expanding its services nationally to areas such as Heathrow and York, as well as broadening its offer in the Midlands.

The firm, founded by managing director Sam Neale in 2010, was initially started as a car valeting service before progressing to cleaning trucks.

Now, with the help of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, it has taken on two new staff and is creating another two jobs in the months ahead.

The Chamber’s Accelerated Growth programme offers a range of support, including one-to-one coaching sessions and helped the company win a grant of up to £25,000 towards the purchase of new equipment.

The project forms part of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.

The funding boost has contributed to the company’s purchase of three new vans which will hit the roads next week.

Sam said the expansion has been made possible thanks to the help on offer from the Chamber programme, which included help and advice on website reviews, business planning and customer journeys.

He said the Chamber also helped the company maximise its brand and how it looks online.

“From being a small business mainly run by myself and a couple of other staff, we are now able to scale up, invest and create new jobs,” Sam said.

“We’ve doubled in size in a year, which has been a big achievement given the uncertainty of the past 12 months.

“I genuinely feel blessed and proud to be able to offer people jobs now and grow the business.

“It’s really rewarding when you take on new staff and see your business grow.”

Grant funding has allowed the firm to buy new vans and equipment to carry out new work and expand its fleet cleaning programme.

The company now washes up to about 500 trucks per week, and as well as offering services to family-run transport firms, it has also taken on work with larger companies such as Tesco and international courier DHL.

“The grant funding has allowed us to buy new vans and equipment, leading to us being able to create the jobs and the capacity which we needed,” Sam said.

“For four or five years we ran at capacity, turning down work which we could not do as we were not able to access the right support or the right funding.”

Helena Bassett, business advisor at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are really pleased to have been able to support Sam and the team at Truck Smart.

“The past 12 months have been a very difficult time for so many companies so to be able to help a local company grow, win new business and take on new staff is extremely positive.

“We’d encourage other businesses to get in touch with the Chamber to find out how we can support them and help to grow the individual company and the regional economy.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .