Still driving up standards (From Gazette Series)

Still driving up standards

IN 1968 Frank Applegate established Applegates Coaches with just one coach. Thirty-six years later the family-run company has 16 coaches, which are used for continental and UK tours, private hire and contract work.

The company - based at Heathfield Garage, Newport, near Berkeley - has built up a reputation of offering customers top-quality services second to none.

Mr Applegate said: "I started in 1968 when I came out of the RAF. I started with one vehicle when I lived at Stone. I was offered some land to work from which enabled me to acquire second coach with 52 seats. I then purchased a third vehicle which then meant that the land was too small to operate from. The land at Heathfield Garage was owned by a petroleum company and I rented the property until the time came when they offered me the land to purchase. Since then the property has expanded and I know live and work on site."

Tours and day excursions are one of the more popular services with customers.

Mr Applegate explained: "We provide tours in the UK to Scotland, Cornwall, Ireland and the Lake District. We feature a number of gardens, which are very popular. I don't think there are many we haven't been to in England. Day excursions in 2004 have included The London Eye, Clarence House, Weston-Super-Mare and the New Forest."

The company has eight top-line coaches and facilities on board include toilets, washroom, coffee machine and televisions. The remaining buses are used for school and contract work in Dursley, Wotton-under-Edge and Berkeley. Applegates is the sole provider of school buses in Berkeley and also provides services to Rednock School in Dursley and schools in Stonehouse.

The latest edition to the fleet is a 44-seater Starliner coach, which is used for international tours to countries such as Austria, France, Germany and Holland. The tours consist of four days, five days and 12 days packages.

Mr Applegate continued: "I still drive myself. I mostly drive on school contract or the commuter services. I enjoy being hands on.

"We have four members of staff in the office. Sigi Vickery manages the international side of the business and is also our courier and hostess on our European tours. Karen Reece, my daughter, manages all the English tours, day excursions and weekly tours. Sandra Gillison, my other daughter, is the Account Clerk and also does the detailing when I am not here.

"My wife, Beryl is the cashier for the business and issues work tickets for the drivers. Stephen Gillison, my son-in-law, does the international driving and controls the business in the yard when I am not here. It is a real family business. I am hoping that things will carry on when I retire.

"We have six full-time drivers and we have ten to 15 part-time drivers who we can call on from time to time and two garage mechanics."

Mr Applegate says that a good relationship with passengers and the high standard of drivers contributes to the success of the company.

"We have accumulated the passengers and through our good relationship with them we often have repeat bookings on return. We have excellent drivers and their standards are very high. They are the salesmen of the company - they sell it by doing a good job and we rely on that.

"I am very proud of what it has built up to today. I started from scratch with £400. Today we have a £1 million turnover."