29 May Case Study: Suma Wholefoods

Yorkshire-based co-operative, Suma Wholefoods, was founded in 1977 and sell wholesale vegetarian and vegan produce. They are experiencing growth as they expand into London and the south coast of England and have a fleet of Suma vehicles delivering to mainland UK. They have worked with Gray and Adams since 2010 and have received three trailers already in 2019, with several more on order.

CUSTOMER PROBLEM:

Suma are expanding their business and had previously worked with manufacturers who specialised in ambient goods but would struggle with the chilled aspect of the build. They initially approached Gray & Adams as the leaders in the temperature controlled trailer industry.

WORKING COLLABORATIVELY:

“The reason we keep coming back to Gray and Adams is that they really took the time to understand us as a company and get to know our business. They are able to translate our design into something that works really well and will develop, modify or innovate new features that meet our exact requirements.” – Daniel Norvell, Suma Wholefoods

SOLUTION:

Suma’s trailers are fairly unique to most other bodies built by Gray and Adams. They have a dry freight rear curtain sider and front refrigerated pod, rear facing reverse lights, flexible access to the body and several safety features, ensuring the weight is kept low to reduce the carbon footprint.

Often replacing products like for like, modifications are frequently dependent on particular needs or timely business focuses. Over time, Suma’s trailer bodies have become more and more complex as they satisfy changing customer needs and regulatory requirements, such as health and safety features or more advanced monitoring of temperature control.

IMPACT:

“Gray and Adams make my job easier by consistently providing a product that we can trust. Their commitment to providing quality products is something that we really value. Sometimes, there are snagging issues during the manufacturing process and they work hard to discuss, resolve and provide solutions for us to ensure we always get the exact product we want.” – Daniel Norvell, Suma Wholefoods

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

“We can’t fault Gray and Adams on the customer service we receive at Suma Wholefoods – They offer us a personal service and always ensure we are well looked after. The team consult with us to the right level, communicate openly and understand what we want – they make the whole process as seamless as possible and that is hugely valuable to our team and our business.” – Daniel Norvell, Suma Wholefoods