Dawsongroup’s Vision
To be the first company supply chain operators turn to for resilience and agility, and be the ultimate provider of smart asset strategy for stability and growth.
Our Values and Culture
Dawsongroup believes in conducting business in a manner that achieves sustainable growth whilst demonstrating a high degree of social responsibility.
We aim to align our business values, purpose and strategy with the social and economic needs of our stakeholders; by embedding responsible and ethical business policies and practices into our day-to-day operations and management.
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Managing our business with integrity
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Solving customers’ challenges
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Committing to full legal compliance in everything we do
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Benchmarking and evaluating what we do to constantly increase our value in the marketplace
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Providing safe, fulfilling and rewarding careers for all our employees
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Actively assessing, managing and improving the environmental impacts of our operations
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Developing community and charitable programmes that support our values
Dawsongroup’s History
From a road haulage business in Leighton Buzzard with one Studebaker truck in 1935 to over 200 different types of assets today, Dawsongroup has expanded to provide first-class service in a wide range of areas. Over the decades, what began as Dawsonfreight Commercials developed and acquired more trucks and was appointed as a Volvo Trucks dealership, covering an area from London to South Birmingham and becoming the largest Volvo distributorship in the UK in 1974, the same year that Dawsonrentals began trading.
The 1980s began with the formation of Dawsongroup and the amalgamation of the truck rental, commercial vehicle distributorships and the road haulage businesses under one holding company. By the end of the decade, the company had been organised under the control of Peter Dawson and his family, the trailer business had been set up, Dawsongroup finance was established, and there were 31 Group locations across the country. Portable cold stores were introduced in the 1990s, the new Head Office was built in Milton Keynes, subsidiaries were set up in France, Netherlands, Germany and Ireland, the bus and coach business was established, and the property holding part of the business, Alexena, expanded with various acquisitions, including one which became the foundation of Dawsongroup material handling.
The early 2000s saw Dawsongroup grow in several directions. Truck and trailer opened its 30th depot while the bus and coach fleet size exceeded 1,000 and Ventura bus and coach sales was established. Sweepers were added to the material handling product range, a Polish subsidiary was set up, and various businesses were acquired, depots opened, and new products launched, while business also increased in Europe.
2010 to 2020 saw many more exciting ventures. Dawsonrentals Iberica opened in Barcelona, Spain, and Dawsonrentals portable cold stores was rebranded to Dawsonrentals temperature control solutions (TCS). What we now know as Dawsongroup vans first appeared as Hiregate Vehicle Rental, with the sales aspect following closely; it was then rebranded to Dawsonrentals vans and van sales, and the flagship site was set up in Milton Keynes. Dawsongroup bought Transflex Vehicle Rentals, which added more than 3,000 new vehicles and four new strategically placed sites as well as a successful team to Dawsongroup vans. Dawsongroup also acquired Tectoniks, a manufacturer of bespoke inflatable structures including 360° cinemas, event venues and warehouses, and Dawsonrentals was rebranded to Dawsongroup. The decade ended with Dawsongroup celebrating 85 years of owning and maintaining assets.
The 2020s began with the company adding a multitude of new products across its business units, opening various sites around the country, including flagship sites in Avonmouth and Heathrow, and establishing Dawsongroup Process and Climate Control (PCC) within Dawsongroup TCS. Dawsongroup also expanded outside of Europe for the first time, with new locations in New Zealand and the USA.
The rest of the decade is due to see many more changes for the better, including the transition to alternative fuels, installing rapid EV chargers at all sites, extending the product range, training on new technology and expanding the company further. Going forward, Dawsongroup has many exciting plans for the future, and as always the primary focus will be to help customers improve by implementing a smarter asset strategy.
