This week, we’re sharing the experiences Alan and Wyn had in their van as their business began to grow. They often travelled across the country to connect with both old and new customers while offering their services from various company locations.

I [Wyn] want to discuss our van sales and travels in the early days, which were crucial for our growth and expanding our customer base. Alan outfitted our VW with shelves and drawers so that when customers opened the sliding door, they would often exclaim, “this is like Aladdin's cave” — a seemingly endless supply of spare parts! Back then, we might have been one of the few companies selling plant spares this way across the country. Word spread about our service and products, and we were always welcomed, even by companies that typically restricted certain trade vans from selling directly. Some of the items we carried in our reliable van over the years included ignition keys, starting handles, prop stands, dumper seats, air couplings, and many more!

On long-distance trips, we would share the driving. We set off early, usually between 5 and 6 o'clock, and returned home around 7 to 8 in the evening. Leaving so early often meant we arrived at our first stop before 8 o'clock. Some customers welcomed us with a cup of tea, which was a great way to start the day. Since we were out all day, we made sure to take hot flasks of tea and packed lunches to eat on the go, ensuring we never missed an opportunity to visit customers along our routes.

A useful trick I learned during our travels was to always park our van with the sliding door facing the sun. When foremen and fitters browsed through our parts, they tended to linger longer with the sun warming their backs!

On our early outings, we headed to Yorkshire, and this week I want to highlight some customers who supported us as a small business starting out in the early 1970s.

The first customer was Vibroplant from Starbeck, Harrogate. During our visits, we often spoke with Mr. Thackery and his team in the purchasing and stores department, who were a pleasure to work with. While we were still doing business with them, that department relocated, so we began dealing directly with depots across the country!

Another key customer was H.B Raylor & Co Ltd, builders and scaffold merchants. Founded by Harry Raylor, the site was transformed into a thriving business centre by his sons and remains operational today! They were located on James Street, York. We frequently dealt with Mr. Horner during our visits. He was an important customer, and I remember him purchasing a.c.e platform scaffold hoist spares, sheave pins, flaking shafts, and bushes. He also bought a large quantity of Villiers carburettors, for which we still supply spares today.

Next was Mechplant from Fulford Road in York. We communicated with Mr. Littlechild, who was in charge of buying, and a lady named Viv, who last I heard was assisting at the National Railway Museum in York! Mechplant was sold to Chippendale Plant Ltd in the early 2000s and continues to operate today.

The final customer I want to mention is D W Tong from the Thorp Arch trading estate in Wetherby, Yorkshire. I recall that the building was once a royal ordnance and munitions factory, featuring rubberised flooring for ammunition storage during the war. During our visits, we met David Tong and Stuart Buxton, partners in the company who worked in their portakabin next to the main building. They specialised in plant hire and vibrator poker repairs, and the existing rubber floors were useful for testing! We dealt with them for many years, often supplying Villiers parts for their vibrator units and water pumps. The company eventually dissolved, but Stuart went on to establish his own business. We traded with FS Buxton Supplies, which operated out of a van, just as we had done many years earlier, until Stuart retired last year. He was a loyal customer and friend who significantly contributed to our business growth.

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