Hull-based Wren Kitchens has received a Scania Omni Express based on a K 400 chassis and a Scania Berkhof Axial based on a Scania K 340 chassis. Both vehicles are equipped with 63 leather trimmed seats and have full onboard entertainment systems.

The kitchen retailer, designer and manufacturer is to use the vehicles on staff transfer services between its Barton-upon-Humber headquarters and the nearby city of Hull, covering four-shift changes seven days a week.

Lee Thompson-Halls, Wren Kitchens National Fleet Manager, said: “With nearly 2,000 employees at our headquarters, coaching was an obvious answer to not only further improve our green credentials, but to also create a significant cost saving benefit for our employees in terms of transport to and from work.

“While we operate a major in-house logistical operation with a fleet of over 200 vehicles and seven transport depots across the UK, coaching was an entirely new pursuit for us. A call to the Scania Bus and Coach team started the ball rolling. As we were looking at a low annual mileage of 25,000 kilometres per vehicle, a new coach would not have been cost-effective for us. A conversation with Steve Lambert, Scania’s used vehicles sales manager, followed. I have to say Steve was exceptionally proactive and helpful. Together we identified exactly the type of vehicle which would serve our needs best and Scania supported us with transforming the vehicles to our top-spec with a new Wren branded livery and retrimming of the seats.

“In addition to the staff transfer services they will provide, our intention is to also offer them for occasional use by local schools on a complimentary basis, as giving something back to the communities is important to Wren”

“There was an additional advantage for us in that we have an existing relationship with Scania Hull. The trucks they maintain for us are set up on their r2c workshop management platform and our coaches could be connected to the same system. We saw this as a major benefit as our transport team are already familiar with r2c.

“In addition to the staff transfer services they will provide, our intention is to also offer them for occasional use by local schools on a complimentary basis, as giving something back to the communities is important to Wren.”

• The coaches were supplied by Scania (Great Britain).