Northgate Mobility Group rebrands Blakedale and FridgeXpress

Under the rebranding Blakedale has been rebadged as Northgate Highways, and FridgeXpress renamed Northgate Temperature Controlled.

Both companies will retain their current leadership and specialist teams, with Northgate Highways continuing to be overseen by Jon Taylor and Northgate Temperature Controlled remaining under the leadership of Adam Naylor.

Announcing the rebranding Northgate Mobility, which is part of the ZIGUP group, said the strategy will strengthen its One Road/One Fleet customer service model, bringing together corporate vehicle hire, fleet management, insurance replacement vehicles and claims management services, and specialist vehicle expertise under one connected proposition and giving customers a single point of access to the full vehicle lifecycle. 

Northgate Mobility Group has a combined fleet of around 60,000 vehicles across 63 UK and Ireland locations, including specialist traffic management and temperature‑controlled vehicles,  As part of ZIGUP, it also has direct access to the group’s nationwide bodyshop and recovery operation. 

Northgate Highways is headquartered in Chorley, Lancashire with locations across the UK. The business operates a fleet of over 1,200 specialist vehicles, offering short and long‑term rental, contract hire, bespoke vehicle build, and sales of new and used vehicles. Northgate Highways also manufactures and supplies Marker Post products to the highways sector. 

Northgate Temperature Controlled, which has a fleet of over 800 specialist refrigerated vehicles, ranging from small vans to HGVs, offers short and long‑term rental designed to flex around seasonal peaks and operational demand across a range of sectors, including food and pharmaceuticals. 

Neil McCrossan, Northgate Mobility MD, said: “By aligning our businesses, systems, and brands under the Northgate Mobility umbrella, we are creating a more efficient, responsive, and connected organisation - making it easier for colleagues to collaborate faster, and to serve customers even better whilst being clearer for stakeholders to understand who we are and how we create value.”