Blakedale ramps-up investment amid road spending boom

INVESTMENT on upgrading roads and motorways is sparking record investment by an ambitious Lancashire company.

Blakedale,  a family business based in Chorley, supplies traffic management vehicles to civil engineering contractors such as Amey, Tarmac and Carillion and local authorities, and over the last 11 years has built up a fleet of 144 trucks and vans.

So far this year the 12-strong company has invested £750,000 on upgrading its fleet and has just placed an order worth another £1.5m for 20 trucks costing £77,500 each.

Director Jonathan Smith, who owns the business with two brothers and a sister, said: “We are now the biggest self-drive traffic management hire company in the UK and we’ve had a record year.

“It’s great to be able to invest and grow the business further and we are doing so because we are confident in the future, as are our major customers with the increase in spending on roads and motorways.”

Mr Smith said this year’s investment – which is partly funded by Paccar Finance, the finance arm of manufacturer DAF  – would take turnover at the company from £2.5m to around £3.5m.

While many customers have their own fleets and use Blakedale to supplement them on short term leases, others are looking for longer term deals.

“We’ve had several customers asking for three-year agreements which provides certainty for us in terms of revenues and also of supply, so it works for all concerned.

“As a family business focused on delivering great customer service, it’s good to be in a position to be taking on more people- we’ll be taking on another two or three people in the next six months.”