Commercial vehicle fleet services firm Fraikin has created a brand-new role of operations director, supporting plans to bring more maintenance back inhouse.
Andy Towns has been appointed to the role, with a brief to lead the firm’s engineering and operations functions, and will report directly to Darren Hall, managing director.
He brings 35 years of experience in the industry, including direct experience running a national network of commercial vehicle workshops.
He was most recently aftersales director at Farid Hillend Engineering, prior to which he worked at NRG Fleet Services as national operations manager, and previously aftersales director at FAUN Zoeller UK.
Towns commented: “Darren shared his plans for the business with me; in particular the work already started to bring more R&M back in-house, and I knew instantly this was a strategy I could really get behind.
“When you’re in control of your own workshops, you’re naturally that step closer to your customer at every stage, plus you’re in the best position to rigorously manage operating costs and drive down VOR times. It’s a win/win situation for everyone.”
He will be formally based at the company’s head office in Coventry but plans to spend much of his time working across the Fraikin network – which includes full-service depots in Bellshill, Warrington, Coventry, Enfield, Iver and Bristol, supported by a growing fleet of 38 mobile service vans.
