Sapphire Vehicle Services rolls out new London depot and puts jobs up for grabs

Sapphire’s new Charlton workshop offers a full range of inspection, maintenance and repair services for trucks and vans of all makes, around the clock. The purpose-built site is already staffed by a team of four but, says Regional Manager Patrick McGlynn, the plan is to add more as soon as possible.

“We’re actively recruiting for heavy vehicle technicians who are looking for a great place to work with clear career development pathways,” he said. “At Sapphire we place a great deal of emphasis on training and developing our people, so if you want to work your way up the ladder, get in touch soon.”

Sapphire boasts a network of 19 workshops across England and Scotland which together look after close to 30,000 vehicles, for a client list that includes some of the biggest fleets in the supermarket sector. The company is also an acknowledged leader in the fast-growing electric vehicle field.

The new Charlton site, at Riverside, just upstream of the Thames Barrier, sits next to a distribution centre operated by one of Sapphire’s customers but is open to all comers.

“This is a brand new, purpose-designed facility and offers a complete range of services to everyone from large fleet operators to single vehicle owner-drivers,” said Patrick. “It’s fully kitted out with all the tooling required to work on any brand of truck, including Jaltest diagnostic equipment, and is a great place to work.”

The site also boasts a pair of mobile service vans and is home to an admin team as well as its current roster of four technicians. Among these is 28-year-old Nikhil Varsani, who is undergoing a training programme with a view to taking on the role of its first Depot Manager.

Nikhil has been with Sapphire for four years, having joined the team at the nearby Waltham Cross workshop after serving his apprenticeship and gaining experience with a main dealer outlet.

“This kind of career progression is one of the main reasons I was keen to join Sapphire,” he said. “It’s a friendly company that really values its staff, and if you want to step up and take on more responsibility you’re backed all the way.”

Training up individuals like Nikhil is just one way Sapphire has demonstrated a determination to ‘grow its own’.

The company’s successful apprenticeship programme continues to take an input of eight or more candidates per year, for a two-year course culminating in a nationally recognised NVQ Level 3 qualification in Heavy Vehicle Maintenance and Repair. Meanwhile its Technician Upskilling courses have helped a raft of car mechanics learn the skills to enable them to switch to a career in heavy vehicle maintenance. Many of business’s current senior managers began their journeys on the workshop floor.

Anyone eager to join the programme should contact Sapphire’s Group Commercial Director Grant Tadman on 07880 264909 or grant.tadman@sapphirevs.com, or Regional Manager Patrick McGlynn  on 07795 062111 or patrick.mcglynn@sapphirevs.com .