This month, three new DAF 7.5 tonne curtain sided vehicles have joined the fleet at Pear Stairs. Each vehicle has its own distinct livery inspired by famous paintings with a surreal pear and stair-related twist. The rigid vehicles have been supplied by Enterprise Flex-E-Rent on a four-year deal that includes full 24/7 repair and maintenance service support.
Each vehicle will be covering up to 75,000 miles per annum, delivering a range of bespoke and standard staircases to its customers all over the UK.
As part of the switch to running its own transport fleet, Pear Stairs has also acquired a brand-new Ford Transit van from Enterprise Flex-E-Rent which will handle local contracts where there is no need for the higher capacity 7.5 tonners.
Commenting on the new four vehicle deal with Enterprise Flex-E-Rent, Clive McNamee, transport manager at Pear Stairs, said: “As the business has continued to grow well, we felt that running our own fleet of vehicles would give far better control and flexibility over our distribution plans, as well as greater economies. During the discussions, Enterprise Flex-E-Rent looked at our operational requirements in detail and responded with a deal that was competitive on price as well as meeting our particular needs. In addition, it is a distinct advantage that their local branch is conveniently located in nearby Shrewsbury for all servicing and support.”
One of the big motivations for acquiring its own fleet was to increase awareness of the Pear Stairs brand with a bespoke livery. To achieve this objective, the company commissioned graphic designer Clare Harper from the internal design team at their parent company, who was given free rein to develop an eye-catching and distinctive livery. Enterprise Flex-E-Rent then arranged fitment at its workshop in Shrewsbury.
Vermeer’s The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Magritte’s Son of Man and Damien Hirst’s A Pear Divided are just a few of the works that have been tweaked and blown up to eye-popping proportions by Ms Harper. According to Pear Stairs, the aim is to engage people’s curiosity by making the images both obvious and obscure at the same time. References to the actual company name are subtly woven into the pictures with pears and stairs covering large parts of the trucks’ curtain-sides.
“We wanted maximum impact with the new vehicles, drawing our customer’s attention to the new distribution fleet. We believe that this has been achieved with the selected designs that cleverly link the company name and its products in a contemporary but classy way,” explained Clive McNamee.