C&W KNIGHT
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• The image of heavy tippers and idyllic English villages seems a little contradictory—but one Warwickshire-based haulier has proved the two can be a winning combination. Tucked discreetly in the centre of Fenny Compton, near Leamington Spa, is C&W Knight, a family firm that has been operating since 1886.
As CM enters the firm's headquarters it is clear that the premises are somewhat unconventional. Ducking your head is a sensible policy if you want to avoid the low ceilings in the
administrative building—this structure was built as a home at a time when people were a bit smaller than today.
Over a cup of tea, the three men behind the operation tell CM about business past, as well as present. To cut a rather complicated family tree story short, Dave Clark and Graeme Knight—codirectors in the firm—are the great-grandsons of founder AJ Knight; Jeremy Robbins is the company's transport manager.
Robbins says: "The company got its first tipper in the 1920s.
But the 19605 was the real turning point, when we started carrying Hornton stone." In this way CW Knight is quite literally embedded in its environment; it has derived its business from transporting consignments that are extracted from the land itself. Clark says: "It has been one of our mainstays."
The firm still specialises in carrying stone and aggregates. As we stroll round the yard a collection of buckets can be seen in an outhouse. Clark explains that they store a selection of stone samples from 30 quarries—customers can visit C&W Knight, choose their stone, and then get it delivered on one of the 14 tippers.
But there is an occupational hazard when shifting these loads: C&W Knight's trucks must undertake arduous trips across quarries. The work is unforgiving on the vehicles, but the firm's way of working is designed to cater for any eventuality. There are two fitters at C&W Knight who work solely on the company's trucks.
"We have on-the-spot maintenance—it is best to have your own workshop," says Graeme Knight. Robbins adds: "We run quite a tight vehicle maintenance schedule; vehicles get serviced every three weeks. Tippers have a hard life."
The rough terrain also takes its toll on tyres, he remarks.
Would they consider diversifying? Clark says: "We will stick with tippers. We have a loyal customer base—it is a case of better the devil you know. C&W Knight provides a good-quality service, but these days it is the cost which means everything to the customer. We don't expect the stone to run out in the foreseeable future."
And what of the future? Clark explains that the firm is happy to "consolidate on what it has". Caution is the right policy, he adds.