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TANK TOPS
Page 44
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US-owned Heil Trailer has become the number one petroleum tanker supplier in the UK. Brian Weatheriey charts its progress.
Hell's success in the UK is really all about timing— but then what isn't? Being able to buy the old Thompson Carmichael tanker operation six years ago was clearly fortuitous. Few would argue that the much-respected tanker maker was ripe for picking even if it did need a fresh shot-in-thearm financially.Then there was the small matter of watching while Crane Fruehauf, then market leader in petroleum tankers, conveniently shot itself in the foot while languishing within the ownership of Genera! Trailers. Today Heil is undeniably top dog in the UK spirit tanker market as industry watchers are left wondering how CF managed to let it all slip through its fingers, For European managing director Chris Dalton it's obviously a very satisfactory position to be in although he asserts:"! wouldn't say we're sitting pretty — we're sitting comfortably."Yet looking around there aren't exactly hundreds of rivals queuing up to knock Heil of its pedestal.
"The biggest competitor we currently have in petroleum tanks is Cobo," admits Dalton, although he's keeping a wary eye on Feldbinder following the launch of its own "new generation" spirit tanker at the NEC this year (CM 29 April)."I think they're seriously trying to get into it they'd see Heil as their biggest rival."
What's interesting is that both manufacturers appear to be targeting each other's core business— you might even say parking their tanks on each other's lawn. While Heil is actively trying to win new customers in the bulk silo business (traditionally Feldbinder's backyard) by running a two-week free rental offer on silo tankers (see left) supplied via the Czech manufacturer ZVVZ, the German manufacturer clearly wants to go head-tohead with Heil in the UK petroleum market with its latest round section barrel design against the latter's originalThompson Carmichael-derived elliptical model.
And to add more uncertainty, at the Birmingham Show last March, Magyar also unveiled its first all-alloy round section petroleum tanker in the colours of Suttons of St Helens — so perhaps things are going to get a touch more lively after all. Meanwhile Dalton reckons."I've got a lot of respect for Magyar," he concedes "They're a good company with a good product."
Evolution at work
Not that Heil is twiddling its metaphorical thumbs. Just a fortnight ago (CM4 November) it revealed plans for a new sub live-tonne tare weight 44,000-litre tanker. Described by Dalton as an "evolutionary development of the current ADR 5000 Series" it makes its official debut at the Federation of Petroleum Suppliers (FPS) show in Telford next April. It will be supplied primarily from Poland (see box, right), although if demand exceeds capacity trailers can also be sourced from a Heil plant inArgentina. Either way, by the end of 2005 Dalton says Heil will have extended its current product line-up to become "a fullrange" supplier including bulk silo, food and general purpose tankers.
Despite shifting tank assembly out of the UK Dalton maintains "The key to our UK offering will be aftersales and service What we're seeing is an increasing Health & Safety emphasis particularly when it comes to repairing tank vessels. Our UK operation will be based around Kingsbury at the ex-Mobil terminal where we have a four-bay workshop and offices with parking over five acres. We'll create a centre of excellence for tanker and structural repair there." •