It was a great privilege for me to be invited to the Open Day at TVAC on Thursday 8th November, and to be able to share a selection from over 120 photographs that I took that day.  For the first time, I am also able to include some pictures from TVAC SPECIAL VEHICLE ENGINEERING and TVAC PASSENGER TRANSPORT as well as the now familiar TVAC BLUELIGHT, thereby illustrating the full spectrum of work that the company undertakes.  As ever, I am indebted to Gary Smith and other members of the Management Team for the most welcome invitation and for the kindness shown to me throughout the day.  It was all very much appreciated.
 

The Vehicle Application Centre was founded on 6 September 1993 with 8 employees.   As noted in the brief history on the TVAC Home Page, the first fire appliance R101NBV was built in 1996, appropriately for what was then known as Lancashire County Fire Brigade.

When I first started visiting TVAC five years ago, there were appliances in build for Lancashire and Buckinghamshire, and the first order for Merecedes Ategos for London had just commenced.  Today, the company has two factories and four assembly halls, with a capacity for 150 vehicles per annum.  Now employing 163 people, there are already over 500 TVAC fire appliances in service all over mainland Britain, with even more fire and rescue services ordering products for the first time.

The morning was given over to a series of very interesting Presentations from TVAC, Plastisol, Hilton/TVAC CARP and Netras, followed in the afternoon by a visit to the factory where there was a large number of exhibits plus demonstrations.

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