Pictured above: On the up… young entrepreneur Sam
Burke, with his new Dyson Hydraloader
Two years after he launched his own vehicle recovery operation
Sam Burke has just bought his first brand new truck - and he's
still only 18!
The young businessman visited the factory in Droitwich,
Worcestershire, of specialist bodybuilder Roger Dyson, to collect
his Hydraloader 3000La (Low approach) aluminum slidebed.
Sam is the proprietor of Burke Bros Recovery, of Fox's Lane,
Wolverhampton, a company he founded on leaving nearby Smestow
School at 16. It represented the fulfilment of a long-held
ambition.
He explains: "My family is in the removals trade but I've always
enjoyed fixing cars and from the age of about 12 I knew I wanted to
work in the recovery industry. My dad just thought it was a fad
that would pass, but it never did."
Few who know him would doubt that Sam has the entrepreneurial
flair to achieve success in a tough and highly competitive
industry. "I've always had a knack of making money although one or
two of my schemes did get me into a bit of trouble at school," he
laughs. "But by the time I left I had £15,000 in the bank,
and I spent most of that on my first truck."
His new vehicle has just cost him over £43,000 but Sam has
no doubt that it will prove to be money well spent. Dyson's
aluminum slidebed has a 3,000kg capacity and is mounted on a
7.0-tonne Iveco crew cab chassis.
"I'm really pleased with the truck," he declares. "The
lightweight aluminium deck mean its has an excellent payload while
it's also eligible to operate within the London Low Emission Zone -
I've had to turn down work on a couple of occasions in the past
because I've not had a vehicle that meets LEZ regulations, but
that's something I won't have to do any more."
The new arrival has lined up alongside Burke Bros Recovery's
three other vehicles, all of which were purchased second-hand. One
of those trucks is another 7.5-tonner fitted with a Dyson
Hydraloader slidebed.
Continues Sam: "I've had four used vehicles in all and can
honestly say that the one fitted with Roger Dyson's equipment has
been more reliable, and caused me less hassle, than any of the
others.
"Roger's build quality is excellent, as was the service I
received from his sales executive Tony Rayner. So I'm sure that
when I start moving up to some heavier units, as I'm planning to
do, I'll be back for another new Dyson."
Sam has won contracts from leading insurance companies, garages
and car dealers that now rely on Burke Bros Recovery to undertake
collections and deliveries on a national basis.