Foden in the black
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• Foden Trucks finished 1990 in profit despite suffering a fall in vehicle registrations of almost 50%. However, exactly how much profit the Sandbachbased truck maker made last year is likely to remain a mystery as the company files its accounts within Paccar UK's annual financial figures, which do not split out the truck division's balance sheet, although it does represent the lion's share of Paccar UK's business.
According to Paccar UK managing director Rod Heather, while all trucks produced last year were built against firm customer orders, "current build rates are not at levels I would wish to sustain the business on for the long-term. We do not intend to carry on at these current rates; we will increase them in February, and we have the orders to do it".
Foden is currently producing 10 chassis a week at its Moss Lane assembly plant. This will rise to 12 a week "and may well go up beyond that", says Heather. "Because we only build when we have orders we have to be far more flexible, and have to react in fairly short lead times."
Although the company's order rate has picked up, Heather warns: "This is not an indicator to the state of the overall market." He remains pessimistic that the 1991 heavy truck market will see a further decline in registrations. 'There will probably be another fall of around 10% within the first six months."
Independent links
• Newly formed Independent Parcel Systems is planning to tie up with a European parcels company by the end of the year. It is looking for partners in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany and wants six more carriers in the UK, to bring its franchise network up to 50.
Marine Constructors
• JJ Haulage has just put its eighth Leyland Daf Constructor 30.25 eightwheeler into service on contract to United Marine Aggregates of Greenwich, south-east London. Daf dealer Thameside Trucks supplied the vehicles; two more are on order.
Trimoco's tops
• Trimoco's £4.5m transformation of a derelict factory in London Road, Dunstable into its new HQ and Ford main dealership has won it a Bedfordshire Greenspace award for 1990.