The first vehicles to wear the new branding of leading asbestos removal, demolition and remediation specialist Rhodar also feature the tried and trusted three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz.
The national contractor, headquartered in Leeds, has added another 20 vans to its growing fleet and has a further 10 on order. Supplied by Dealer Ciceley Commercials, they are the subject of a competitive funding agreement with Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.
Although the new line-up includes a pair of small Citans, most are 3.5-tonne Sprinters. These are equipped with tachographs and used to pull Rhodar’s specialist decontamination unit trailers. The Sprinters were fitted with tow-bars at the Mercedes-Benz factory, so are also equipped with Trailer Stability Assist safety technology. This clever system uses the vehicle’s Adaptive ESP anti-skid program to detect any signs of the trailer swaying or losing grip and intervenes automatically to bring it back into line.
All 314 CDI models, the Sprinters are powered by fuel-efficient, 140 hp diesel engines. Six are panel vans, but the remaining dozen are crew vans with second rows of seats – each is capable of carrying a driver and five passengers. The crew vans have either Long or Short bodies, those in the compact format having been chosen for operation in busy city centres, where they can park in single bays. The Citan 109 CDI Longs – a panel van and a crew van – feature exceptionally economical 90 hp engines.
BlueEFFICIENCY features fitted as standard on Rhodar’s new vans include the ECO start/stop function, low rolling resistance tyres, and optimised alternator and battery management systems, all of which help to minimise fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
Founded in 1976, Rhodar is recognised as one of the UK’s largest asbestos removal specialists and has launched its new brand to formally showcase its ability to provide an end-to-end specialist enabling works solution for the construction industry. Its growing workforce of over 500 professionals operate from 14 strategically located facilities across the UK. Turnover this year is projected to be £48 million.
The re-brand brings under the umbrella of the Rhodar name, a complete range of services offering a total package including asbestos removal, demolition and land remediation.
Managing Director Jason Davy said: “Rhodar has been operating Mercedes-Benz vans for more than 10 years now and these vehicles have proved themselves to be up to the demands of a tough application. Their excellent reliability, coupled with the availability of flexible seating and body length options, makes them ideally suited to the job.
“The BlueEFFICIENCY package enables us to minimise our fuel costs, as well as the impact of our activities on the environment. Our drivers also really like their Sprinters, with the comfortable, well-equipped cabs, and class-leading array of safety features all scoring highly.
“It helps, too, that we’ve built up an excellent working relationship with the manufacturer and its Dealer – Kirsty McKinnon of Mercedes-Benz Vans and Tina Todd of Ciceley Commercials are extremely helpful and professional.”
Mr Davy said Mercedes-Benz Vans’ commercially-focused aftersales support, and commitment to keeping its customers’ businesses moving, was another crucial factor behind Rhodar’s continued loyalty to the marque.
“Ciceley Commercials and its fellow Mercedes-Benz Dealers offer round-the-clock servicing,” he explained. “This means they can undertake maintenance and repair work outside typical working hours, thereby keeping vehicle downtime to an absolute minimum and contributing to the efficient running of our operation.”
Rhodar’s client base includes NHS trusts, transport infrastructure providers, schools, universities, and the wider construction industry.
Mr Davy continued: “Rhodar is a team of innovators and we are always looking to challenge standard practice to find new and efficient ways of delivering projects. Each of our three service disciplines has a strong reputation and track record in their specialist field.
“We’re proud to deliver an unrivalled and sustainable customer journey and are very excited to be formalising and amalgamating our expertise under the new Rhodar brand, continuing our evolution to deliver highly effective solutions for our customers.”
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