W McClure

The background

A business that first sold Morecambe Bay shrimps from a hand cart in Kendal, and now delivers thousands of product lines around the country, has added £37,000 to its annual profit margins thanks to its CoolKit-converted van fleet.

Windermere-based wholesale fine food supplier, McClures, which was founded in 1945, has chosen vans from CoolKit – the UK’s leading specialist in temperature-controlled light commercial vehicles – since 2017.

Thanks to CoolKit’s industry leading payload innovations, which include premium engineering and lighter materials, McClures can operate fewer vans to transport the same amount of produce, all while maintaining optimal freshness during transport.

The savings

Data from both companies finds that this equates to a saving of £150 per day or £37,000 over McClures’ operational year.

“Jeremy Cowan, transport manager, at McClures said: “Our partnership with CoolKit has been a game changer for our fleet efficiency and bottom line. A £37,000 annual saving is a significant boost, it’s essentially the cost of a new van in just a year.

“Plus being able to maximise payload means we use fewer vans, that reduces fuel consumption and  lowers our environmental footprint, aligning with our commitment to sustainability.”

Jeremy Cowan, Transport Manager at W McClures

“It’s great to see McClures achieve such impressive savings and efficiency gains with our solutions. Their success is a perfect example of how CoolKit’s innovations deliver real value—both financially and operationally. We’re proud to support their fleet and look forward to continuing our partnership.”

Mark Beaton, Account Manager at CoolKit

Air curtain improvements

McClures’ conversion specification is for multi-temperature, multi-drop vehicles and the business is also a major advocate of CoolKit’s ‘air curtain’.

The air curtain in CoolKit’s temperature-controlled vans offers significant benefits. It improves operators’ access by providing unobstructed entry and exit, which is especially useful during multi-drop deliveries. This saves time and reduces physical effort. Enhanced health and safety are ensured through clear visibility, preventing accidents and injuries.

The air curtain also maintains internal temperature effectively, preserving perishable goods and reducing strain on the refrigeration system, leading to lower energy consumption and costs. Additionally, it helps maintain hygiene by keeping out dust, dirt and insects.

“A third of our deliveries are frozen goods and two-thirds are chilled. The air curtain ensures that all of our goods are delivered in perfect order,” Jeremy added.

CoolKit was the first converter in the UK to introduce CurtAir – a compact, effective and invisible curtain in the load space, to isolate the cold air inside the van from the ambient humid air outside during door openings.

Jeremy said: “We deliver to customers who have commercial kitchens such as schools, hospitals, care homes, restaurants and hotels. So, being part of a robust supply chain, controlling the different temperature of our deliveries in the various parts of the vehicle especially when the door is being opened and closed is vitally important and CoolKit conversions serve our needs perfectly.

“Coolkit’s designs and processes have evolved since we placed our first orders eight years ago – and every time we deal with the team, they are able to adapt to our tweaks and needs.

“CoolKit always build to the brief that we require and the relationship we have with their sales account manager Mark Beaton is very good. He is quick to reply to our calls and drops in to see us whenever he is in the area.”

McClures will continue its relationship with CoolKit into 2025 by upgrading its fleet with four new vans from MAN TGE.