8
BULKDISTRIBUTOR
Tank Containers
January/February 2016
Suttons invests in food grade tanks
S
uttons Group has taken delivery of a fleet
of new, food grade 20ft tank containers.
These have gone into operation serving lanes
between North America and Europe.
Suttons is more widely known for its bulk
chemical and gas logistics but Steve Lonsdale,
regional director for Suttons Americas explained
that the group is well suited to serve the food and
beverage sector.
“Suttons is well known for its safety record and
high standards of service, which makes the food
and beverage sector a natural market for us,” he
commented. “Our approach to safety,
compliance, product quality and security are all
essential attributes required for food and
beverage transit and we are able to complement
that ability with our knowledge and experience of
intermodal bulk logistics and supply chain.
“Due to the increased capacity which tank
containers offer in comparison with traditional
transport methods, together with more flexibility
in terms of production, packaging and storage,
we have seen an increase in food grade products
transported with tank containers. As a proven
safe and sustainable transport method, tank
containers can provide significant added value for
our customers,” he added.
The food tanks are the latest addition to
Suttons’ global fleet of more than 6,000 tank
containers and were built in partnership with
Singamas, of China, whose engineers worked
with Suttons’ own in-house team to build these
specialised units. The tanks are fitted with
leading-edge GPS and telematics systems which
provide real time data both to Suttons and its
customers.
Suttons recently announced a £29.8 million
increase in revenue from continuing operations to
£176.2 million for its 2014/2015 financial year.
Suttons has also appointed Graeme McFaull as
its new chairman following the death of former
longstanding chairman Michael Sutton in May
2015. McFaull was formerly chief executive of
European logistics company Wincanton Plc.
Ferguson
expands range
O
ffshore containers specialist Ferguson has increased its
product range to include a fleet of chemical tanks
designed, manufactured and fully certified to DNV 2.7-1 /
EN 12079 standards and approved under IMDG/ADR/RID.
The tanks are used for a variety of oilfield operations, from well
stimulation to cementing and decommissioning. They are
available globally, from Ferguson bases.
Chemicals are essential in the energy industry. It is a specialist
area as the type and grade of chemical can be dependent on the
geology of the rock formation that it is being applied to. This
means ensuring that the tank material is compatible with the
chemical in use.
Judith Verner, development manager, fluid solutions said: