High praise for Burnley convertor, CoolKit

By We Love Creative

28 Jul 2020

vms4.jpg

A leading fleet services group has offered high praise for Burnley refrigerated van manufacturer CoolKit for its rapid response service amid the pandemic.

Due to a large influx of orders, Hertfordshire-based VMS Fleet Management, required external support to help convert vehicles quickly and efficiently and so they called on a long-standing partner they knew they could trust. 

VMS Fleet Management works with a variety of well-known supermarkets in the UK, supplying refrigerated and standard vehicles on both a fully managed and maintained basis.

The Covid-19 pandemic prompted a huge growth in online shopping and home delivery services, meaning fleets needed to expand to fit consumer demand. 

VMS was inundated with requests from both big brand supermarkets and foodservice providers together with smaller operators who were looking to rapidly expand their fleet size and service offering.

VMS had worked with CoolKit on 300 conversions over the last three years and, as the largest convertor of panel vans in country, they knew they would make the perfect partners; if they had the capacity to assist.

Martin James, managing director at VMS said: “CoolKit is a valued, longstanding partner of VMS and we have been working well together for some time now. When Covid-19 hit and our customers came to us for help in expanding their fleet, we were confident that CoolKit could assist us in meeting our customers’ expectations.” 

While CoolKit was operating with a skeleton workforce, they were instantly on board.  

Glenn McCulley, CoolKit’s sales and marketing director, said: “VMS needed a partner who was still open for business and who could carry out builds at speed. We responded as one of the few convertors open and were ready to pull out all the stops to complete the conversions for such a loyal customer.”

VMS sent 80 of the required vans to CoolKit; a mix of Citroen Relays, Renault Masters, Mercedes Sprinters, so that they could convert 10 per week.

Fifty of these vans were to be fitted with the transport refrigeration system Alex Original, for which VMS Refrigeration is the sole UK distributor.

Martin concluded: “CoolKit was able to pull together their teams and work to deliver the required converts to our vehicles, while also keeping their workforce safe in an extremely unprecedented environment. We knew we could rely on them to provide fast, quality services to meet ours and our clients’ needs, and we thank them for mobilising so quickly to assist us.”

The 80 vans converted by CoolKit were distributed by VMS to a wide range of customers including food service businesses, top name supermarkets and online retailers. 

Latest news

1

University of Lancashire unveils Preston campus installation to celebrate name change University of Lancashire new feature

University of Lancashire unveils Preston campus installation to celebrate name change

12 Sep 2025

2

PM+M welcomes ten new apprentices for 2025 intake Lucy Field, Kate Walsh, Ellie Fisher, Zainab Aswat, Reece Jones, Aisha Bibi Patel, Finley Vila, Uzair Zariwala, Richard Prest, and Charlie Harrison

PM+M welcomes ten new apprentices for 2025 intake

11 Sep 2025

3

ROCCIA strengthens commercial division with senior appointment Andrew Grove

ROCCIA strengthens commercial division with senior appointment

11 Sep 2025

4

Final call for investors: Rossendale community solar project must hit target by November Gary McEwan managing director of Interfloor

Final call for investors: Rossendale community solar project must hit target by November

10 Sep 2025

5

Lancashire Combined County Authority unveil plan to Get Lancashire Working Lancashire Combined Authority

Lancashire Combined County Authority unveil plan to Get Lancashire Working

10 Sep 2025

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs
Sub36 Deaf Village Social1200
Networking
17 Sep 2025

Sub36 Networking - Follow the signs

The Deaf Village, Blackburn, BB2 5EN

10:00 - 12:00

LBV124 September/October Launch Event
MBP Arc Cinema Preston Opening 205
Networking
18 Sep 2025

LBV124 September/October Launch Event

The Arc Cinema, Preston, PR1 2BL

08:30 - 10:30

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Management and Leadership Course

Preston Campus, Preston , PR1 2HE

09:00 - 17:00

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course
UCLanAerialCampus.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
21 Feb 2025 - 21 Feb 2026

CMI Level 5 Project Management Course

Preston Campus, Preston, PR1 2HE

08:00 - 17:00

Longridge Soap Box Derby
Screenshot 2025-06-10 090035.png.png
LBV Hub Fundraisers
14 Sep 2025 - 14 Sep 2025

Longridge Soap Box Derby

Berry Lane, Longridge, PR3 3WH

10:00 - 16:30

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!
Preston Tech Connection Sept 25.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
16 Sep 2025 - 16 Sep 2025

Preston Tech Connection - The Ultimate Tech Quiz!

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

18:00 - 19:00

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire
LBV Hub Networking
17 Sep 2025 - 17 Sep 2025

The Business Network Central & East Lancashire

Stanley House, Blackburn, BB2 7NP

11:30 - 14:15

Cumbria Business Expo 2025
https---cdn.evbuc.com-images-880461633-4862066883-1-original.20241022-110415.jpeg.jpg
LBV Hub Exhibitions
19 Sep 2025 - 19 Sep 2025

Cumbria Business Expo 2025

Carlisle Racecourse, Carlisle, CA2 4TS

09:00 - 15:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September
Sept Freelancer (1).png.png
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: September

Society1, Coworking Space, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 11:30

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation
Chorley Council breakfast event new
LBV Hub Networking
23 Sep 2025 - 23 Sep 2025

Your Business, Your Region: Making sense of devolution and Local Government Reorganisation

Worden Hall, Leyland, PR25 3DH

08:00 - 11:00

Speed Networking with BNI
2.png.png
LBV Hub Networking
24 Sep 2025 - 24 Sep 2025

Speed Networking with BNI

Chorley Football Club, Chorley, PR7 3DU

16:00 - 19:00

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day
MTD drop in session.jpg.jpg
LBV Hub Seminars
25 Sep 2025 - 25 Sep 2025

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (MTD for ITSA) drop-in day, Blackburn, BB1 5QB

10:00 - 16:00

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV 123 Online Graphic
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin