The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), founded in Preston back in 1828, has a combined student and staff population of approaching 38,000, with around 10,000 students living on campus at any one time.With more than 25 main buildings and numerous annexes and workshops and a campus that is nearly a mile long, UCLAN is more like a mini-town than a conventional university. So keeping it clean and tidy around the clock is a challenging proposition if the students are to enjoy it to the maximum.
To meet this challenge, and to replace an existing but aging and troublesome machine, Estates Business Services Manager, Andy Coverdale, carried out internet research and spoke to colleagues and suppliers before settling on a short list of two. However, following the delivery of demonstrators and trials being carried out, that quickly became a shortlist of one with the Schmidt Swingo clearly coming out on top.
“The Swingo seemed more robust; it passed the sweeping tests well picking up everything on the first pass; it has good service, support and parts back-up and in our view was definitely fit for purpose,” said Andy Coverdale.
The Swingo needs to be flexible and capable of getting through small spaces between bollards and other obstructions, as well as keeping large pedestrian areas, the 70-acre sports arena and car parks with spaces for up to 1,400 cars clean and tidy – so a compact machine with a big heart seems to be the ideal solution.
“We also like the standard road tyres which are much easier to replace than specialist models, while our operators like the comfort in the cab, the excellent and all-round visibility, and the ease of driving,” added Andy Coverdale.
UCLAN has two trained operators currently, both of whom have passed Aebi Schmidt’s City and Guilds accredited Swingo training courses, but intends to follow the ‘train the trainer’ route and add more employees to the list of operators. “Our Swingo works three hours a day, mainly in the morning, five days a week,” explained Andy Coverdale. “So we are looking eventually to have up to six operators trained in its use amongst our estates staff.
“Although it’s early days yet, our initial impressions of the machine are very positive – it seems very reliable, dependable and capable, and we are confident it is more than up to the job,” he added. As well as local dealer support and access to a national parts network, Aebi Schmidt backs the Swingo with its Total Lifetime Care (TLC) commitment, a unique sales and service programme designed to maximise the life and value of all its equipment and provide customers with exceptional value for money and complete peace of mind.
