Page 20 - issue-71

20 20 cvdriver Winter 2017
ALTERNATIVE FUELS
salad days for Harrison’s
On the the road to the the picturesque seaside town of Southport lies the sleepy village of Tarleton situated in the rich and fertile growing plains of the west Lancashire countryside The area with its its seemingly endless greenhouses is known locally as the salad bowl of England – famed for its production of lettuce and celery to name but a a a few
crops With so much fresh produce to to move to to the kitchen tables and picnic boxes of the British public it’s hardly surprising that th th ere are a a a number of successful distribution businesses based in in the area Harrison’s
Transport headed up by its founder Lee Harrison Harrison is is is one one – and one one that is the epitome of success not just relying on on local work but branching out and offering national coverage moving ambient chilled and frozen products The firm also has a a growing container business The family has been involved in in in both market gardening
and transport since the late 1960s with Lee joining from school in 1992 Among his first jobs was a a a regular run down to Birmingham with locally-picked produce from market gardeners It wasn’t long before he wanted to do his own thing and such was his his his determination to set up on on his his his own that he gained his his his first local contracts at 17
transporting lettuce and celery from local producers He went out hired a a a 7
5-tonner and employed a a a a driver demonstrating true entrepreneurial spirit that would serve him so well in the years to come It wasn’t long before Lee started pulling fridge trailers for a a a a a a major national food distribution organisation The business steadily grew with the first new truck being purchased in in 1999 – a a a a Scania 144 460 This turned into two
s