Dennis Eagle RCVs still the choice for Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council after 15 years
Cllr Lynda Hodgkins, Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services HBBC, Caroline Roffey, Assistant Director for Street Scene Services HBBC, Tom Rose, Contract Manager for SFS
Dennis Eagle and Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council’s (HBBC) strong, lasting relationship spans over two decades of loyalty and dedication. Beginning back in the early 2000s, Dennis Eagle was originally called upon to supply Olympus refuse bodies to the council to help support their waste management, an order which swiftly changed in 2010 when nine complete Dennis Eagle Elite/Olympus RCVs became the vehicle of choice. Since then, the council has not looked back.
Working closely with Specialist Fleet Services (SFS), its fleet solution provider since 2005, HBBC ordered 16 vehicles in 2018. In March this year, HBBC signed an 8-year agreement with SFS involving the supply and maintenance of the council’s fleet and the management of its workshop facility. The new contract, which includes a new fleet of 17 Dennis Eagle RCVs, marks the 20th anniversary of the partnership and takes it to 2033.
SFS has worked with Dennis Eagle for more than 30 years supplying RCVs to local authorities across the UK. “During our time working with HBBC, we have established 20 years of mutual trust, respect, and a collaborative approach to problem solving,” said Paul Connor, Business Development Director, SFS. “As the council’s fleet is not exclusively made up of RCVs, we’re ideally placed as a fleet solutions specialist to support their unique requirements. Moreover, our excellent 30-year relationship with Dennis Eagle means any issues that arise with their RCVs are dealt with quickly and efficiently. It’s a pleasure to work with them.”
Caroline Roffey, Assistant Director, Street Scene Services, HBBC said: “SFS has proven to be a reliable and trustworthy supplier of fleet to HBBC and we are delighted to be continuing our long and successful partnership. SFS brings a wealth of expertise and experience from across all their contracts, which is of enormous benefit when selecting and operating our fleet.”
The council’s fleet now consists of six 26-tonne Elite+ 6x2 mid-lift chassis with Olympus 21 bodies and OmniDEL bin lifts for dry recycling, four Elite+ Narrow 6x2 mid-lift chassis with Olympus 19 bodies and OmniDEL bin lifts for green waste, and seven Elite+ Narrow 6x2 mid-lift with Olympus 19 body vehicles that specialise in general refuse. The council will also benefit from a three-year full warranty on all vehicles.
“The Elite+ Narrow chassis is an ideal fit for the highly rural environment of our borough,” said Caroline. “It’s able to readily navigate the single country lanes, farms, and scattered villages that make up a lot of our crews’ collection rounds. Moreover, the Olympus 21 body offers greater volume for dry recycling pick-ups across the more urban areas of the shire.”
The greener choice
The new fleet has also been helping to make exceptional strides in reducing HBBC’s carbon footprint, enabling significant gains towards the council’s sustainability goals. Run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a renewable and cleaner-burning fuel, the RCVs are now saving the council roughly 700 tonnes of carbon per year, with greenhouse gas emissions reduced by up to 90%.
This dedication to improving sustainability also extends to the proximity of Dennis Eagle’s Warwick headquarters and SFS’ maintenance workshop in Northampton to HBBC. Purchasing British-made RCVs that are essentially on their doorstep means the council’s carbon footprint is reduced even further. This, along with the excellent quality of all Dennis Eagle products and SFS’ reliable support, has only served to encourage HBBC to increase the volume of vehicles in their fleet since these relationships began.
Regional Sales Manager for Dennis Eagle, Matt Horwell said: “We’ve established a great relationship with Hinckley & Bosworth over the last 20 years, and SFS for even longer, and want to ensure these important connections continue well into the future.”
“There’s a good reason we keep ordering Dennis Eagle RCVs – they do exactly what we need them to,” Caroline added. “Our strong working relationship with both SFS and Dennis Eagle has meant we gain the benefit of industry-leading, best-in-class vehicles with the promise of outstanding maintenance and fleet management.”
