HOBSON INDUSTRIES LAUNCH GREEN INITIATIVE
By Julian Nettlefold, Editor, BATTLESPACE
22 Apr 07. Hobson Industries, the Lincolnshire, UK, vehicle specialist is spearheading a new initiative to support fleet users requirements, including Ministries of Defence, to provide Through Life Support, from cradle to grave, to enable compliance with new EEC vehicle disposal requirements.
Hobson Industries Ltd, established in 1987, provides Vehicle Through Life Support solutions with Logistic, Armouring, Engineering, Asset Management, Vehicle build and Homologation workshops. The company employs 48 people at a plant located at Donington on Bain, Lincolnshire, UK.
“In 1993 we foresaw that there would be a huge need for safe disposal of obsolete vehicles so we obtained a licence, one of the first in the U.K., for an Authorised Treatment Facility to manage the disposal of vehicles and associated toxic parts such as oils and batteries. We have developed a complete Through Life Support Solution that makes use of our comprehensive facilities, technical and logistic expertise to Asset Manage the through life parts package, including major and minor units to complete vehicle build, based on Original Equipment Standards. Every year since 1993 we have reduced our energy use and combined this with proper management of metal waste in particular, we have fitted an EPACK system which removes all noxious particles during metalworking. We have a full range of QA Certificates complying with BS EN ISO 9001:2000 and an ISO 14000:2004 Environmental Certificate,” Peter Hobson, Managing Director of Hobson Industries said.
“We can offer our clients a complete One-Stop Shop from cradle to grave to manage fleets during their life time and then dispose of them. We have proved this with our RUC customer where, by the use of Asset Management we have reduced fleet costs by 30% a year. The company has a complete range of engineering and workshop facilities to undertake all aspects of vehicle and parts build including reconditioning and homologation, including armouring solutions and in-house ballistic testing. We also provide full technical support and a comprehensive in-house CAD/CAM design function.”
“We decided to concentrate on the Land Rover product from the start of our Asset Management operations as we saw that the life this vehicle offers over its competitors makes it the ideal platform for Asset Management.”
“Whilst the World’s Armies take a long look at their fleet requirements under such initiatives as JTTS and JLTV in the USA and OUVS in the U.K., those armies based on Land Rover have an opportunity, using Asset Management techniques, to extend the life of their fleets by at least another ten years whilst these new requirements are being developed and trialled for production. We are already working with the Australian DoD to Asset Manage their Land Rover Perentie fleet with a view to extending this opportunity across the board for its whole Land Rover fleet of 4000 vehicles,” he continued