Category: News

THE team at ETRUX, a company specialising in vehicle conversions, rental and leasing under the Jans Group, have put their knowledge and skills towards a very worthy cause recently, by converting bespoke vehicles to assist Lagan Search and Rescue (LSAR) during their rescue operations.

Specialising in acute water rescue and offering a lifeboat service for the River Lagan and Belfast Lough and a national flood response unit the control vehicle and water rescue unit was completed a few weeks ago and will be “instrumental” to the team going forward.

The new control vehicle and water rescue unit comes fully equipped with all the necessary kit required by the volunteers including a welfare area, a drying room, 360 degree LED scene lighting, an expedition rack, a telescopic communications system and emergency service markings and lights. Additionally, ETRUX completed a minibus with a complimentary rack, camera systems and scene lighting to ensure that the LSAR fleet was fully aligned.

Noel Keenan from LSAR claims the team is “delighted” with the new vehicles and they will be “invaluable” when it comes to future search and rescue operations.

“LSAR volunteers work in extremely demanding circumstances, often having to compete with very challenging conditions,” explained Noel.

“We pride ourselves on helping to keep the Belfast community safe and part of doing that is ensuring our volunteers have the most up-to-date equipment, which is why we’ve now added a control vehicle and water rescue unit to our fleet.

“The team at ETRUX couldn’t have been more helpful, they embraced the design brief and made  valuable recommendations throughout the project.  We are delighted with how the vehicles turned out, which we know will be instrumental in future search and rescue operations.”

Speaking about the project, Gareth Pinkerton, Lead Engineer at ETRUX added: “The volunteers at LSAR carry out fantastic work and we were so pleased to be able to work alongside them for this very worthwhile project.

“The converted vehicles will hopefully make a big difference to the team when they’re out on-site performing rescue operations.

“As specialists in vehicle conversions, the ETRUX staff was able to use their expert skills to ensure that the LSAR volunteers would have everything they required and that the vehicle would meet and indeed exceed their expectations.

“On behalf of the team at ETRUX, we are so proud to have been able to contribute – albeit in a small way – to this extremely worthy organisation.”

To find out more about the work of ETRUX visit: www.etrux.co.uk and for more information on LSAR visit: www.laganrescue.org.

For this month’s Meet the Team feature, we caught up with Gino Falco to find out more about him and his role.

Q1. Name

Gino Falco

Q2. Position  

Regional Sales Team

Q3. What is your background? 

I have 30+ plus years of experience in sales and transport including The Freight Transport Association, Hertz, and Northgate.

Q4. Favourite part of the job?  

I love the challenge the job brings and meeting new people, building relationships and seeing the customers happy with the service we provide.

Q5. What does a typical day involve?

Prospecting, sales calls, identifying sales opportunities and closing deals.

Q6. What opportunities have you been given as a member of the team at ETRUX?

I work in a small team in the rental part of the business, we all look out for and help each other. We have great support from the Management.

Q7. How do you like to relax outside of work?

Seeing my 13-year daughter and I love swimming and playing tennis. I also enjoy a glass (or two) of red wine.

Q8. Tell us an interesting fact about yourself?

I was friends with Paul Weller at School. We used to hang out together after school and in the holidays, as I used to live near him.

 

EVolve is a commercial vehicle procurement model which offers a 360° solution for operators and transport managers to transition their fleets from diesel and petrol to electric.

The British government has announced its intention to phase out the sale of petrol and diesel commercial vehicles starting from 2035. Under the new plans, vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 26 tonnes will be banned from 2035 while vehicles weighing more than 26 tonnes will get an extra five.

Combined with increasing fuel and servicing costs as well as promoting the drive towards a healthier and cleaner environment, now is the perfect time to start looking at the transition to carbon zero commercial transport.

At EVolve, our aim is to be a ‘one stop shop’ for transport managers not only to build and manage their current fleets but to simplify the transition to electric.

Our highly skilled team can manage the entire project. From the feasibility study which determines what vehicles can be transitioned to alternative fuel and how much it will cost; to supplying the right vehicles and charging infrastructure to do the job; to maintaining and keeping your fleet on the road and finally; to defleeting or repowering the fleet at end of life.

Phase 1: Providing you with a road map

We will carry out an evaluation of your present fleet, assessing operational needs, routes, vehicle suitability, drive cycles, annual mileage, cost of diesel and servicing and whole life costs. We will also assess your depots and estate for charging infrastructure and determine the most cost-effective charging solution for your business. Once the assessment is complete, we will provide your organisation with a detailed business plan which will outline our recommendations for the transfer from diesel to electrification.

Phase 2: Sourcing the right products

Using the recommendations from the initial assessment, our specialist team can look at the elements of your business fleet that can be transitioned immediately, with our emphasis being on getting the right vehicle for the right activity as well as identifying an adequate and affordable charging infrastructure.

Phase 3: Maintenance and keeping your vehicles on the road

Depending on whether you lease, hire or purchase, we can offer a maintenance package to cover all your fleet needs while at the same time remotely monitoring the battery and auxiliary systems using state of the art telematics.

Phase 4: Vehicle end of life and disposal

At the end of your agreed rental, lease or contract hire term, EVolve can manage either the disposal of the vehicle or explore second life options. EVolve will work closely with you to come up with the right solution to suit your organisation’s financial requirements.

With ever improving technology and understanding, the uncertainties surrounding battery life and travelling range are becoming increasingly dismissed and by choosing EVolve, your organisation is making not only an infrastructural investment but a sustainability statement.

EVolve with ETRUX and together we drive towards a better future!

For more information, contact our experienced team by emailing: info@etrux.co.uk.

Antrim and Birmingham Based Company to Present ‘EVolve’ Programme at CV Show

ACCORDING to the latest statistics, the electric vehicle (EV) market in the UK is booming, with the RAC estimating that there are currently approximately 460,000 zero-emissions battery-electric vehicles on the UK’s roads – with 64,000 registered so far in 2022 alone. Battery electric vans also saw a record year in 2021, with 12,759 vehicles joining the UK’s roads.

With the government ban on the selling of commercial diesel vehicles set to come into force after 2030, the commercial EV market is expected to accelerate even further, and Northern Irish company, ETRUX Ltd, has positioned itself to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ in simplifying the transition of commercial fleets to electric.

Established in County Antrim under the Jans Group, and with a rental base in Birmingham, ETRUX specialises in lightweight vehicle conversions, commercial vehicle rental and leasing as well as their recently launched EVolve Consultancy programme that guides transport managers and fleet operators through the EV evolution process.

From carrying out an initial feasibility study and cost analysis on existing ICE fleets and potential charging infrastructure to supplying the right commercial electric vehicles that are fit for purpose, to providing full contract hire and servicing solutions. EVolve by ETRUX will even provide end of life and repowering solutions that can extend the life of a fleet and help make the whole process affordable.

At the end of May, ETRUX will join a host of other companies at one of the UK’s leading road transport exhibitions – the Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show in Birmingham – to raise awareness of the ETRUX brand and discuss how EVolve can support fleet operators with the transition of commercial fleets to electric.

“We are extremely excited to be bringing our EVolve programme to the CV Show,” said ETRUX Managing Director, Gerard Galvin. “We understand all the challenges and uncertainties faced by transport managers when considering the move to electric fleets and the CV Show will give us the perfect opportunity to meet new customers face-to-face and to present our unique 360-degree solution.

“We have spent the last year growing our own rental fleet to over 100 bespoke welfare, Luton and temperature-controlled vehicles, as well as building partnerships with commercial vehicle OEMs, route optimisation and telematic companies, charging infrastructure experts as well as consulting with customers to develop an effective and affordable solution to ‘de-risk’ the EV transition.

“We are all aware of the lower running costs, reduced noise pollution, better driving experience, zero congestion charges and the impact on climate change that the move to electric vehicles will offer; and with our expert team and knowledge of the industry, we are confident that ETRUX and EVolve Consultancy can assist various organisations in the transition to EV fleets.”

Elsewhere, Ronan Hamill, Chief Executive Officer of Jans Group added: “It’s ETRUX’s mission to be at the forefront of the electric commercial vehicle revolution that will undoubtedly hit the UK and Ireland.

“With a range of flexible financial solutions offered through our rental and leasing division, combined with our inhouse composite, conversion and EVolve Consultancy capabilities, ETRUX offers a fantastic solution for transport managers.

“The Jans Group are extremely excited for what will surely be a very bright future for the team at ETRUX.”

If you’re attending the CV Show, visit the ETRUX team at stand 5F68

Built for adventure – ETRUX’s modification team got stuck in today.

Today’s modification challenge was to fit an off the grid bike-rack capable of holding 4 bikes to a Volkswagen campervan which will be sold or rented through our sister company Jans Lifestyle – all in the mornings work for the team.

If you have a vehicle modification project you would like us to look at contact us today at info@etrux.co.uk or call us on 0330 912 1467.

Might you be one of the newest members of our team? Our jobs fair is officially open.

The Jans team is waiting and ready to answer your questions, show you around and see if you might fit into our team. If you haven’t registered yet but fancy popping in do drop in to our headquarters in Caulside Drive in Antrim and say hello. #jobs #opportunity #careers2021