PRESS INFORMATION FROM BINZ UK

Greenwood's Birthday Binz

Alan Greenwood has built up the Surrey-centred funeral home chain that bears his name over a period of 14 years. On the occasion of reaching 60, rather than accept the conventional gifts from friends and family, "We held a raffle instead - and raised nearly £2000 for the Headley Court Rehabilitation Centre, Leatherhead, part of the  'Help for Heroes' campaign".

His business though marked the up and coming anniversary with an altogether different form of 'birthday present' - a Binz Mercedes-Benz E-Class based limousine and matching five door hearse. This brings the Alan Greenwood and Sons family funeral directors' fleet up to four hearses and four limousines, operated out of Send, near Woking, and Kingston to provide the coverage needed for the firm's 10 branches.

Its previous Binz vehicles have proved themselves within an environment that demands a relatively high annual utilisation - for the funeral profession - of around 10,000 miles per individual vehicle. "We started with a 54 plate Binz and are now on 59 plate vehicles - though the 54 is still in service - and we find them totally reliable. We also run Daimlers and Jaguars and it can be easier to hire in matching Mercedes vehicles if we need to. The depreciation calculation is looking good too, since It is hard to find a six year old Binz, as they hold their value and firms do not want to part with them". 

Alan Greenwood has been established in the transport related business for 41 years, and is acutely aware that availability is a key factor in service delivery. An area where Binz vehicles tend to score, with probably the lowest down-times in the sector for mechanical and body repairs, not to mention windscreens  - which are freely available through any mobile replacement company anywhere in the UK and Europe. 

Since becoming a part of the 'Binz family' Greenwood has been impressed with the way that the service operation at Reading has always been willing to go the extra mile to return a hearse or limousine quickly when it is urgently needed. Plus the fact that its coachbuilding side will readily fit out a customer's own vehicle for first call duties. "Binz has also done work on my ambulances, with which I am very pleased. They are very decent people to deal with"

Finally, less quantifiable but none the less tangible, is the issue of being able to present the right image within Greenwood and Sons' catchment area. "A Binz Mercedes-Benz is a very acceptable marque in this part of Surrey. When people are bereaved, this is the worst day of their lives, and if you can pull up in a nice new car, it really makes a difference for them".

Ends

Image caption: "Alan Greenwood (left), of Greenwood and Sons Family Funeral Directors' accepting the keys to the latest Binz additions to his firm's fleet from Kevin Smith, sales director at Binz UK"

More images and further information at: http://www.aardvarkpr.co.uk/downloads.htm

Editors contact:	Ewan Scott 	Aardvark Associates tel. 01484 864 520 
(mob. 07951 963 433) or 01308 897 911
Company contact:			Binz UK  tel. 0118 975 8999

Please note that this document is for information only and is non-contractual;
both Aardvark Associates and Binz UK - Nilsson Ltd. decline all liability in the case of omissions or errors.