HARSH MOVING OVER 1,500 BINS A WEEK FOR NWH GROUP

1 November 2017

Now one of Scotland’s major players in facilities management and recycling, the NWH Group is seeing its business rapidly expanding thanks to significant on-going investment into its people, facilities and vehicles. So much so that the company’s fleet of HARSH skiploaders and hookloaders is now moving over 1,500 skips and containers each week!

Based in Scotland with its Head Office in Midlothian, NWH Group began operations in 1967 running tippers to serve the local Edinburgh and Central Belt construction industry. Now, 50 years on, the NWH vehicle fleet boasts over 150 trucks with over a third now dedicated to waste handling and recycling work.

“Whilst our tipper work remains steady, the real opportunity for the company to grow currently lies in waste recycling” says Operations Director Craig Williams. “To actually make that happen, we have to continually invest in every aspect of the business, building up strength in our people, our facilities, our resources and our vehicle fleet. Recently we’ve made significant corporate acquisitions too, buying out the solid waste activities of Clearwater as well as direct competitors such as Caleco and DJ Laing.

From starting our first recycling yard back in 2002, additional to our Head Office we now have 8 sites working day and night in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy and Dundee. The waste and recycling industry has continued growth potential – but to participate you have to commit to significant and continuous investment in everything that you do.”

Having run a variety of truck makes and models over the years (as well as inheriting other types from businesses it took over) NWH Group is now quite clear about the trucks it needs.

“For skips and hooks, we’re sold on HARSH” says Craig Williams, adding “our operating yardsticks inevitably put performance and reliability at the top of the list. But when the unexpected happens, parts and service support are equally important. So it’s the whole package that counts, and that’s the reality of what we get from HARSH. It’s just the best deal out there.”

So much so that in the last 2 years, HARSH has supplied NWH with ten HH26 hookloaders, variously mounted on DAF, MAN and Volvo eight wheeler chassis. The last two trucks are particularly noteworthy for being 420hp Volvo FMXs, unusually in single drive 8×2 specification, the lift axle being chosen to improve manoeuvrability whilst also reducing weight and improving fuel economy.

For skiploaders, 16 HARSH HS14T units have been delivered, mostly fitted to 18t MAN chassis, with another six examples currently in build at HARSH’s HQ in York. Both hookloaders and skiploaders are expected to give at least 8 years front line service before being sold on.

“No doubt about it, HARSH is now central to the performance of our business, with the trucks moving over 1,500 bins a week” says Craig Williams. “On that basis” he adds, “the future looks good for all of us.”