Council Leader makes pit stop at MAN Truck & Bus

The Leader of Swindon Borough Council has begun a borough-wide tour of Swindon businesses to showcase their innovation, while also sharing the local authority’s ambitions to build on the town’s economic success story.

Councillor Jim Robbins visited MAN Truck & Bus at Blagrove on Friday (7 Feb) with Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Emma Bushell, to find out how the company is joining the green revolution by introducing its first fleet of electric trucks to the UK.

Cllr Robbins also took the opportunity to share the council’s Swindon Plan, which sets out its missions to build a fairer, better and greener Swindon.

Having been established in Swindon for more than 30 years, MAN employs 200 staff at its Swindon headquarters, with a further 650 across the UK, and is one of a number of businesses that have thrived from Swindon’s excellent connectivity.

MAN, which is a subsidiary of Volkswagon, has recently launched a new eTruck range (100% electric), moving into a new era of sustainable road transport. Offering its full truck range in electric, customers are able to select the vehicle that best suits their business needs.

Cllr Jim Robbins said: “I’m excited to meet with local businesses and hear about their experiences, challenges and hopes for the future. We want to build on their success and create an environment where businesses can continue to thrive.

“MAN is a great example of a company that has embraced the switch to electric and the introduction of its eTruck range is really positive and supports the council’s mission in becoming a greener Swindon. It was fantastic to experience a ride in the eTruck myself and amazing to think that such a large vehicle, which pulls such heavy loads, could be powered by battery technology.

“Swindon has been consistently punching above its weight in terms of economic indicators, with recent Nomis data showing the town's employment rate has risen from 75.3 per cent to 82.5 per cent, well above regional and national averages. We want to ensure Swindon continues to be a place where businesses can thrive to make our economy even stronger.”

Simon Wood, Press and Public Relations Manager at MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd, said: “We were delighted when Swindon Borough Council made contact and pleased to welcome Cllr Robbins and Cllr Bushell, to MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd’s headquarters in Blagrove and to hear about the council’s plans to build a fairer, better and greener Swindon.

“As an established business based in Swindon, we feel it’s important to be recognised by the local community as a stable and attractive employer. We also believe it’s vital to support and connect with the local communities, giving us the opportunity to showcase our workplace, which provides the very best working environment for employees. We also have aspirations to grow alongside the future plans of the town.

“MAN Truck & Bus moved to Swindon in 1992 and today the Frankland Road, Blagrove, head office function is home to our vehicle sales and customer services operations and our UK parts distribution warehouse, it’s also where we base our TopUsed vehicle sales function from. In addition, we operate a fully functioning workshop through our franchised partner Harwoods Truck & Van Swindon.”