In the next in our ‘Looking Back’ series, we’ve spoken to Andy Bingham, a driver based at Spitfire House, who is celebrating an incredible milestone of 35 years with NVS. In this interview, Andy reflects on his journey with NVS, sharing insights, memories, and the essence of what has kept him committed to the company for over three decades.
How has your role evolved since you started at NVS?
Although I’ve worked for NVS for 35 years, I originally started working for Willington Medicalback in 1983 as a Warehouse Assistant, based at their Shrewsbury warehouse. I started almost straight from school on the Youth Opportunities Program (YOP) (the forerunner of the YouthTraining Scheme (YTS)). 6 years later, when all the Willington Medical depots were closed, I moved over to work for the newly founded National Veterinary Supplies (NVS), which had its main head office/warehouse in Fenton.
What’s a typical day for you?
I’m up at 3.15 am, to be at Spitfire House for 4.45, ready for a 5 am start. After loading up I hit the road around 6.15 with an hour’s drive to my first drop in Bridgnorth. My trusty break spot is Vets for Pets in Telford, where they’ve invited me to use their kitchen and have even bought me my own mug. By around 2 pm, I’ve usually wrapped up my deliveries and it’s around 45 mins to my home in Telford.
The early start is the only downside of the job. It’s not too bad in the Summer, but it can be more challenging to get up in the Winter!
What were your first impressions about the business?
My first days at Willington Medical were eye-opening. I was impressed right from the start. In fact, I was so impressed that I got my dad a job working there as a driver. He started in 1984 and stayed until he retired in 1997, delivering around mid-Wales and up on the Wirral.
What can you tell us about some of the changes you’ve seen along the way? Especially in regards to technology.
Back when I first started driving, there were no mobile phones or trackers in the vans. If the office needed to reach us, they’d have to resort to calling the practices on our route to relay messages. And forget about GPS—our navigation relied solely on road maps or word of mouth from fellow drivers. It’s incredible how far we’ve come in terms of technology and communication tools in the time I’ve been working for NVS.
The deliveries themselves have changed quite a bit too. It was all about cardboard boxes back in the day, but now we’ve upgraded to tote boxes and fridge units, with the added protocol of obtaining separate signatures for different parts of the delivery process. There’s also been a change in delivery frequency. Initially, practices would receive deliveries every few days, but now it’s become the norm for them to receive daily drops.
The final big change is in terms of the types of practice we deliver to. When I first started, it was pretty much just independent practices, but the majority of my route is now either Medivet, CVS or Vets for Pets, only two of my drops are independent practices. I’ve also noticed that we have a lot fewer competitors out there, there used to be quite a few smaller companies making deliveries to the practices, but now it seems that there are just the other two big ones – MWI and Covetrus.
Can you recall any particularly memorable events during your time at NVS?
The most memorable event has to be meeting my wife, Helen. She was working as a receptionist for a practice called Taylor Marshall in Shifnal. I vividly remember one of her colleagues asking me if I had a girlfriend, which I didn’t at that time, and as they say, the rest is history. We’ll be celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary this July!
There were also a couple of memorable incidents when I was younger. I remember when I was working at Shrewsbury, I was asked to take the Manager’s car to make a delivery and I took the clutch off too quickly, wheel spinning right in front of his office. Another incident happened when we were based at Fenton, when I accidentally drove off with the access key to the diesel pump, leaving the other vehicles high and dry that day.
Since moving into the new facility, what are some of the things you like best about the Spitfire House?
The new facility has been a game-changer when it comes to loading up the vans, with a dedicated loading area and we even have the option of reversing the van into the loading area if needs be. It makes loading up so much quicker and we don’t have to worry as much about the weather. As soon as I’m loaded up, I tend to head off, so I don’t tend to spend much time in the transport hub, but the facilities are much better than we had at Talke.
What has motivated you to stay at NVS for 35 years?
That’s quite an easy one to answer – job security. There have been lots of changes over the years, and the company has grown quite a lot, but it still feels like a company that values loyalty and hard work, and that’s something I can definitely appreciate.
Read more in our blog post series:
Looking Back: Lisa Beardmore, Customer Excellence Manager, reflects on 35 years at NVS
Looking Back: Lisa Rosson and Carrie Breeze, Replenishment Team – celebrating 25 years at NVS
Looking Back: 25 Years with Phil Bate, Transport Operations Manager
