Yorkshire-based family business Pelican Engineering is making a £2m investment in a new showroom, offices and workshop in Castleford for its fast-growing Yutong business which is helping meet growing demand for zero-emission buses and coaches for local authorities and bus operators nationwide. The new facility will enable Pelican to quadruple its capacity as well as creating at least another ten jobs this year.
Demolition has already begun at the new site at Four Lane Ends in Castleford, with JOM Construction appointed as the main contractor. Formerly a depot for Ryder Truck Rental, the site is undergoing a major redevelopment to transform it into a new 20,000sq ft facility, dedicated to fitting-out, commissioning and supporting new and used Yutong fully electric passenger vehicles supplied by Pelican. Construction is due to be completed by November.
The new facility will complement the group’s existing showroom on Altofts Lane which will continue to be used for some bus work and also as overflow space for Pelican’s nearby DAF dealership.
Designed with sustainability in mind, the new showroom will have a BREEAM excellent standard and will be equipped with power supply for four high performance DC chargers in line with plans for it to become a publicly accessible charging station for electric vehicles. It will provide capacity for work to be carried out on up to 20 buses. The investment coincides with Pelican signing a new long term distribution agreement with Yutong.
Richard Crump, managing director of Pelican Engineering, comments: “In recent years, Pelican has seen huge growth in Yutong sales as more and more local authorities and bus operators transition to clean zero emission vehicles.
“From zero vehicles in 2014, we are now approaching 1,000 Yutong buses and coaches sold in the UK, and our new facility is needed to enable us to carry out the internal fit-out of the ever-increasing number of electric buses we are now supplying.”
He continues: “As a fourth generation Yorkshire family business with a heritage of over 100 years, we are proud to be continuing to invest in the region and further boosting the local economy. With a quarter of our 172-strong team already working in the Yutong division, this new facility will create more jobs as well as strengthening our position as one of the leading suppliers of zero-emission passenger vehicles across the UK.”
