Member Article

Revenue rises 70% at Yorkshire-based commercial vehicle specialist Pelican as continued investment pays dividends

Pelican Engineering Group, the Yorkshire-headquartered fourth generation family business has put in another stellar performance with a 70% uplift in turnover year on year as it continues to invest for the future.

The Castleford-based business, which was founded in 1919 and employs 165 staff, supplies commercial vehicles, electric buses and electric and diesel coaches. Its latest financial results show that underlying turnover rose from £43m last year to £73m for the year ending 31 March 2022 with the company benefitting from growth across all its business operations, including record revenues at its DAF and MAN truck dealerships. It has also seen growing momentum as local authorities and passenger transport operators transition to zero-emission electric coaches and buses amid increased environmental concerns and political pressure. The diesel coach business is also recovering well after the devastating effects of Covid-19 on the coach industry.

In addition, the group achieved operating efficiencies that helped profits increase to just over £6m despite tighter margins.

Pelican is continuing to invest in its infrastructure, recently announcing a £2m project to build a new showroom, offices and workshop in Castleford. The development will provide increased capacity to commission and fit out the Yutong electric buses and coaches it supplies throughout the UK, complementing the group’s existing showroom which will continue to be used for some bus work and also as overflow space for Pelican’s nearby DAF dealership. The company is also continuing to expand and develop it’s after sales support, apprenticeship programme and training services for zero-emission vehicle customers across the UK.

Richard Crump, managing director of Pelican Engineering, comments: “After the disruption of the last two years, we are seeing all parts of the business recovering well and will be re-investing our increased revenues and profits in further improving our plant, resources and people to better support our customers in the future.

“Despite being possibly the oldest commercial vehicle dealership in the country, we are at the forefront of introducing the very latest electric vehicle technology to the UK market. As well as the significant investment in our new showroom, we are also investing in warehousing and parts distribution facilities with more new development activity to be announced shortly.

“Since 2020, when we delivered our first zero-emission bus, we have grown our share to over 10% of the UK market for all-electric passenger vehicles and become one of the largest suppliers nationally.

He continues: “We are very proud to have three generations of the Crump family currently working at Pelican. My father, Bob Crump, still works part time as our chairman and my daughter, Amelia, manages coach sales in the north of England– our success is based on being a long-established, but forward-looking family business.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emma Kilmurray .