Family-run Pelican Engineering Group has reported a record year of growth in 2021, with profits rising to £3.5m across the whole business even with the disruption of the pandemic.
The dealer’s latest financial results as of 21 March show that underlying turnover grew by 9.3% in 2021, from £39.7m to £43.4m.
Continuing demand for DAF and MAN vehicles, as well as the rise in sales of Yutong zero-emission electric buses, are given as reason for the continued growth even as sales of coaches slumped from COVID-19 restrictions.
According to Managing Director Richard Crump, Pelican now has 50 electric buses in service nationally with that number due to rise to 201 by the end of the year. That will make Pelican the largest single-deck electric bus supplier in the UK this year.
“Despite some major challenges to the UK and global economy over the last 18 months, as a third-generation family business we are in a strong position to deal with change,” says Managing Director of Pelican Engineering Richard Crump. “Fortunately, the momentum from local authorities and bus operators in the UK to move to zero-emission vehicles has continued to gather pace and our partnership to supply the world-leading Yutong vehicles has not been disrupted by the pandemic.
“As the company goes from strength to strength, we are continuing to invest in our people with an ongoing training programme and we continue to invest in the recruitment of skilled engineers, tradespeople and apprentices at our Yorkshire base. We are also undertaking improvements to our facilities in Castleford to ensure we can continue to reliably and swiftly meet demand from Britain and Ireland’s transport providers as they transition to cleaner and more sustainable vehicles.”
Adds Head of Pelican Yutong Bus, Ian Downie: “It has been another exciting year for Pelican as the UK’s local authorities and bus operators have turned to our Yutong buses, not only because they have less impact on the environment, but also because they provide a more comfortable passenger experience with no noise or vibration, as well as a long track record of reliability.
“In addition, operators are also recognising the benefits of enhanced driveability and best-in-market operating costs. With COP26 approaching fast, we are expecting this trajectory to continue into 2022 and beyond.”
