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Specialist truck provider MV Commercial is to buy tipping trailer and rigid body manufacturer Fruehauf out of administration in a “multi-million” pound deal which will see the transfer of all 120 workers at the business.
The company is promising to scale up production immediately and be able to offer 80-90 trucks and trailers for sale within a month.
MV Commercial said the acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, includes an immediate cash injection and a commitment to a further £30m investment over the next three years, as part of plans to modernise the manufacturing facility and “realise the full potential” of the 67-acre site in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
MV Commercial will also revive the legendary ‘Crane Fruehauf’ name, by which the business was known until around 1998. The rebranding is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
Tom O’Rourke, chief executive of MV Commercial (pictured), said: “This is a hugely significant day for both businesses; and an opportunity we couldn’t turn down. Fruehauf has a fantastic product range, a rich heritage, and a wealth of talent within its team which will be complemented by MV Commercial’s strength and experience in the marketplace.
“With immediate effect we are starting work to scale production back up, enabling us to commit to a delivery schedule for outstanding customer orders and begin building new stock trailers for MV’s own contract hire and ready-to-go fleets.”
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MV Commercial plans to open a truck sales and rental facility on site in Grantham within the next month. Work will begin within days to refurbish and modernise much of the site.
Steven Cairns, MD of MV Commercial, said: “Geographically, Grantham is the perfect fit for us to develop a true ‘super site’. We should have 80-90 trucks and trailers available for sale on site within a month, and the manufacturing workforce back in the factory building at pace again.
“We are so excited for the potential this acquisition brings and committed to ensuring there is a lot more Fruehauf product available in the marketplace. For long-time Fruehauf customers, we are confident this is very good news.”
Production capacity within the factory is expected to reach 15-20 trailers per week, according to MV Commercial which said future investment will focus on “greater automation and achieving world-class production standards”.
MV Commercial will continue offering the full Fruehauf trailer and body range, and the entire workforce will transfer under TUPE.
Commenting on the planned rebranding, O’Rourke added: “MV Commercial is best known for building the biggest and most capable crane trucks in the market. Cranes are a huge part of what we do, so we certainly weren’t going to turn down the opportunity to put the ‘Crane’ back into ‘Crane Fruehauf’."
MV Commercial employs 190 staff spread across five sites. This is its third acquisition, previously acquiring the assets of two major rental businesses – Regal Truck Rental and TLS, and buying bodybuilder JWR Recovery Trucks in 2015.
