Testimonials
Since the conception of the company over fifty years ago, the Londonderry Garage policy statement laid down by the Managing Director as aimed at customer service and complete satisfaction.
This attitude undertaken by the complete team has led Londonderry Garage to become a well established and very well respected company within the industry.
Please see list of testimonials received from customers, all of which are repeat customers of Londonderry Garage.
Hull City Council has ordered 21 x 19m3 Heil Powerlink RCVs fitted with a mixture of Terberg split lifts for domestic refuse and recycling with Heil UTL lifts being used for trade waste collections. All the bodies are on 26 tonne Mercedes-Benz Econic chassis. Those fitted with the Terberg equipment are mounted on mid-steer models, whilst those with the UTL lifts are rear-steer for greater manoeuvrability. Upgrading to the 26 tonne, rear steer models achieves double the carrying capacity combined with a tighter turning circle than the 18 tonne chassis previously used.
Kevin Forbes, regional sales manager at Heil Europe said:
“The Hull order is a combination of both replacement and additional vehicles to meet the council’s new recycling requirements. Our equipment was selected following a rigorous programme of evaluation and trial. Whilst we have supplied them before on an ad hoc basis, this is the first major contract they have awarded to ourselves and Londonderry Garage.”
Garry Middleton, fleet & specialist engineering group manager at Hull City Council, commented:
“We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Heil and are used to using their kit whilst their whole life costs were also the most favourable. In addition, the involvement of Londonderry Garage for product support was key to awarding this contract. In my experience, their after-sales services are second to none in this industry.”
Hull City Council, Garry Middleton following purchase of 21 new Heil units (July 2010)
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The new vehicles join three existing Multilift hooklifts, again supplied by Londonderry Garage, and the first purchased by the local authority as part of their policy to move away from using dedicated tippers.
“We have made a significant investment in Multilift equipment and are delighted with the versatility the system gives us and it also ensures maximum chassis utilisation,” said Paul Macdonald, site manager at the council’s Hexham workshops. “Our intention is to use the smaller 6.5 tonne units to carry spreader bodies in the winter. A major advantage of the hooklift system is that operations such as mounting a spreader can be done by just one operator.”
The Hiab crane – the first that the council has purchased from Londonderry Garage for many years - is combined with a traffic management body and will be used for highway maintenance and repair operations such as lifting crash barriers.
“We continue to use Londonderry Garage because of their competitive pricing but it is also mutually beneficial that our relationship has progressed from one of supplier/customer to much more of a partnership approach,” added Paul. “This is mainly due to Londonderry’s open and honest approach to doing business.”
Northumberland County Council, Paul MacDonald following purchase of five new Multilift equipments and a HIAB crane (December 2009)
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The five Multilifts in the order comprise four units mounted on 18 tonne Daf chassis and one mounted on an 8-wheel 32 tonne Daf. This larger Multilift replaces a dedicated bulk tipper and so increases operational flexibility for fleet manager Chris Slade as it is being supplied with two bulk containers.
“One container can now be left on-site for as long as required without tying up the chassis as well,” he said. Chris is a big fan of the Multilift concept as it enables bodies to be swapped over quickly.
“The 18 tonne units will carry dropsided maintenance bodies for tasks such as kerbing and paving,” he added. “Changing this for an Econ spreader is just a 5-minute operation and then they can be out spreading salt to make the roads safer for both pedestrians and motorists.”
The Multilift hydraulic pump drives the hooklift system which unloads the maintenance body and then loads the spreader. Once this has been done the same hydraulics can then be used to power the spreader.
The Council has dealt with Londonderry Garage for some 20 years and the fact that the company is the region’s authorised distributor for other equipment such as Hiab cranes is a major asset. “It is very useful to have a multi-equipment supplier so near at hand,” commented Chris. “In addition, I was impressed with the way Londonderry Garage dealt with this latest order which involved a complicated specification. Whilst the after-sales backup and overall service is also first rate.”
City of York Council, Chris Slade following purchase of 5 new Multilift vehicles (August 2009)
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United Utilities transport manager Graham Davies said: “The Unimogs and Axors are ideal as they can carry all the tools we need to complete a job. This is vital in our work as if we need to interrupt a high voltage network the cost to us is £200 per minute, so we obviously need to be as quick as possible.
“These new models enable us to work more efficiently and they also cut down on operator fatigue. For example, extensions that were previously manually operated are now hydraulic and it is easier to swap between the drilling and lifting functions.”
Graham was originally a customer of Londonderry Garage’s service department and was so impressed with the company’s problem-solving approach that he awarded them this contract.
Graham Davies, United Utilities on the purchase of new HIAB cranes (April 2009)
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Transport manager Keith Firth has dealt with Londonderry Garage for some 20 years – both with Deborah Services and previously with Sheffield City Council. “We have an excellent working relationship with them which is built on trust,” he said. “The servicing part of the contract is also efficiently organised.”
Keith confirms that each vehicle is evaluated at the end of five years for wear and tear and a decision taken on whether new models should be purchased or the existing ones re-furbished. He is a big fan of the Cablelift option describing it as very reliable with little that can go wrong.
Keith Firth, Deborah Services following the award of the contract to replace all of the existing Multilift Cablelift vehicle fleet (December 2008)
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Chairman Graham Middleton said:
“The new vehicle obviously has a bigger payload which means fewer trips so we achieve savings in fuel costs and our carbon footprint is also reduced. We buy from Londonderry Garage as they are very approachable and flexible in the way they do business.
“Furthermore, when it comes to specific detail they are extremely thorough and make every effort to accommodate changes and variations to standard requirements. From ordering to installing the equipment, all the departments at Londonderry Garage are very diligent and amenable. We are all operating in a very competitive environment but we have a good working relationship with them established over many years.”
C H Middleton, Doncaster after purchasing their first 32 tonne Multilift Cablelift unit (November 2008)
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Northumberland County Council has made a “significant investment” in Multilift equipment with the acquisition of its first three hooklift systems from Londonderry Garage.
“We are delighted to have changed to Multilift equipment. Using the vehicles is obviously a new experience for us but I believe they provide the ultimate multi-purpose option and give us total versatility and maximum vehicle utilisation,” said Paul Macdonald, site manager at the local authority’s Hexham workshops. Previously, the local authority had been using end tippers and Paul is confident the new equipment will prove more cost effective as it is always working on site and not standing in the depot.
Londonderry Garage had previously been involved in advising the council over the possible purchase of some skips and the relationship had developed into a useful partnership. “They advised and guided us very professionally through the minefield of choosing the right equipment for the job,” added Paul.
“Everyone in the company is totally committed to helping the customer and they always respond quickly to any queries.”
Northumberland County Council, Paul MacDonald following the order to increase the number of Multilift vehicles in the authorities fleet (October 2008)
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Plant Manager Geoff Kearsley said:
“We have a very good working relationship with Londonderry Garage, a lot of which is due to the excellent input of Mark Taylor. We also really value their technical advice as they assisted us to purchase the right equipment for the job.”
H W Martins, contract awarded for 8 new Multilift Hooklift equipments (June 2008)