Fruehauf lifted from administration

Fruehauf, the troubled British tipper manufacturer, has been brought out of administration by independent truck dealership and hirer MV Commercial.

MV Commercial has pledged an immediate cash injection, with a further £30 million being invested in the 67-acre site. All 120 jobs are said to be safe, and the previous Crane Fruehauf name is to be revived.

Tom O’Rourke, CEO 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.”

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, managing director 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… For long-time Fruehauf customers, we are confident this is very good news.”

Production capacity within the factory is expected to quickly reach 15-20 trailers per week under MV’s stewardship, with the future investment to focus on greater automation and achieving world-class production standards.

MV Commercial has committed to continue offering the full Fruehauf trailer and body range. MV has previously acquired the assets of two major rental businesses – Regal Truck Rental and TLS – and in 2015 it acquired bodybuilder JWR Recovery Trucks.