True Grit

It says a lot about you when your company has been in operation for over fifty years and come the Winter Management period you're out there servicing 60 to 70 sites per night.

We're talking about Peter Ashley Ltd. of Styal, Wilmslow who list commercial and industrial landscaping, grounds maintenance and winter management services among their wide range of facilities for a diversity of clients in the North West of England.

The family run business has a client selection which includes business parks, schools, universities, cinema complexes, retail parks, shopping centres, housing associations and commercial managing agents.

Come winter, to service these sites with nightly gritting, they use a fleet of SnowEx spreaders with brine rock salt to treat areas for ice and keep wheels in motion through the day.

They keep a stock of about 500 tons of rock salt, loading up and spreading at night. Interestingly, rather than using 4 x 4 vehicles or tractors with PTO they prefer towed units in conjunction with Iveco Daily and Cargo vans, with good reason.

Their SnowEx fleet has been built steadily over the past four years and comprises two V-Maxx SP-9500's, the SnowEx flagship spreader, and four SP-7500 spreaders.

These, used with the vans, overcome height and weight restrictions that may be encountered with larger units. "The SnowEx spreader and van combination is fit for purpose," says Director Ashley Davies, "as our van fleet works during the day for the landscaping and contracting business, and then at night with the SnowEx spreaders.

They are very simple machines which need little maintenance and being electrically operated require no PTO. They are easy to use."

Their SnowEx spreaders were supplied by Caleb Hutchins at the Lancastria Group and Ashley says they have had nothing but good support, working closely together to ensure when the winter going gets tough, and the work intense, all gritters are always up and running.

Call Broadwood International on 01420 478111 or visit www.broadwoodintl.co.uk