FIRST AGRO MERCHANTS TRUCK DELIVERED TO GROCONTINENTAL  

The first AGRO Merchants Group liveried vehicle has been delivered to Grocontinental and will be driven by the company’s longest-ever serving employee, Brian Evans, who has notched up 45 years on-the-road.

Grocontinental became part of the AGRO Merchants Group at the end of last year and the delivery of the new vehicle, an MAN TGX-XLX, heralds the start of the Grocontinental fleet carrying the AGRO Merchants Group branding.

The new vehicle follows the recent purchase of 12 new refrigerated Schmitz trailers at the Shropshire-based company. A tender process, encompassing a number of major vehicle manufacturers, is also underway for the purchase of future vehicles.

From its 35-acre site in Whitchurch, Shropshire, Grocontinental operates a fleet of 60 vehicles and 120 trailers and has a storage capacity of 197,000 pallet spaces of multi-temperature storage from -28°c to +12°c including ambient, chilled and frozen.

Speaking about the new vehicle arriving on-site, Chris Moss, AGRO Merchants Group’s Managing Director for UK & Ireland, said:

“This is a real milestone for the integration of Grocontinental into the AGRO Merchants Group and the increasing visibility of the Group across the UK.

“It’s very fitting that the first new vehicle will be driven by Grocontinental’s longest-serving member of staff, Brian Evans. To complete 45 years working with one company is an incredible achievement and Brian’s passion for driving has not diminished over the years. He is taking charge of a vehicle which is a bit more sophisticated than the trucks he first drove in the 1970s!”

Grocontinental will commence a comprehensive rebranding programme towards the end of the year.

Former owners, brother and sister, David and Linda Grocott, continue to head-up the company as Managing Directors.