For whatever weird reason I was asked to talk at Cranfield University - Business School - Bettany Center alongside the Professor of AI - on the subject of AI in business. My conclusion was - apart from 'Thanos was right' that if you don't name check AI as often as possible you are not relevant.
So - I would say that Newton is one of the most AI advanced small to medium sized businesses in the UK - bar none. So challenge thrown down.
We are an end to end Systems Thinking business deploying and dipping into AI at every seat and into workshop, hire, parts, sales, finance and administration. As an example currently we turnover £40 million with no person in our accounts function.
If you are interested and still reading this - apart from 'God Help You' then please apply for a job here and you will enjoy an environment that is constantly challenging and endlessly exciting. Come and join the party!
Posted by Andrew on 18/09/2025
It is not often that this blog takes a serious note but if there was ever a reason then this would be it:
James Smith died on Saturday 26th July 2025
James, born, son of the village milkman/dairyman in Harlington, Bedfordshire - literally cycling with eggs and dairy products around the villages to sell - becoming a local seed merchant to farmers, with a side bar hussle in pigs, eggs, and turkeys. He took risks and grew the farming with the returns from the haulage business. As the Home Counties needed more houses - James developed and sold old farm barns and land to conversions and new house developments. With his life long partner - Elizabeth - 'the grit in his oyster' - he became a good businessman with many successes - a good friend to many - a good mentor- and a good father to 4 children, and grandfather to 9.
Always known for his fun sense of humour; a non-critical approach; a straightfordwards and unremitting need to get things done at speed; whilst perhaps more importantly selliing with an honesty and integrity that became widely recognised and central to his enterprises.
James attended work at Newton Trailers until his 90th year and his 63rd in the business. He died after a short illness at this ripe old age- well loved and fondly remembered. He would wish me to thank you all - our customers and suppliers for your support. He enjoyed your conversations, chats and time. For those of you who knew him or cared for him please do not be sad - just give him a thought and a smile - he lived a good and virtuous life.
Posted by Andrew on 29/07/2025
So middle of the year - got the blues... what could be better than a nice cheery show at the National Showground - Stoneleigh - the RTX Show. I HATE SHOWS!!!
What could be worse than standing in a field with lots of stale, white, mostly male...... but for some reason I said yes and off we will go. All the usual suspects will be there - Fruehauf, Weightlifter, Colson, SDC etc. So lots of opportunities to grind axes and listen to salesmen explain how bad their hangover was last night. So Newton have a rule - no shows. So why go this year? Well if we have to go to a show then let's at least make it useful for our customers and hopefully give them something they have never seen before, thought about or experienced. Yes we will do it out of a pathetic little exhibition trailer - which like Triggers broom - was very cheap on ebay - but now we have replaced everything - may not do a Clarkson caravan and disintegrate on the way to the show when it hits 45mph.
So back to the 'why' this year? We have a new to UK product - the Knapen moving floor that can do 26,000 liters of bagged liquids one way and pump it out in 12 minutes and then return with 26 tonnes of Anaerobic Digestion Feedstock the other way. Two way full - the holy grail of making money in bulk transport. So that is a first for this show or any other UK show!!
Then we have Europe's number 1 asphalt trailer - the Fliegl Thermotrailer. This offers the safety of horizontal discharge; the temperature control of the best trailer available; and the reliability of not being a moving floor or belt trailer - once again a first for a UK show!!
Last but not least we have a Halo Trailer - a new total safety concept trailer from STAS - it is the first trailer to have reached 9.2 degrees IRTE tilt test as a production trailer for 44 tonnes and to have passed the even harder german DIN test. This is the new 2025 production model.
So come and throw shit at us at the RTX - I'll show you mine......
Posted by Andrew on 10/06/2025
Love Island
We have a core program here at Newton Trailers called 'Infinite Joy'. Basically we recognise that 'working for the man' is not deeply motivating. At Newton our goal is to have everyone swing their legs out of bed each morning; and just as their totsies hit the floor they get a good feeling. That feeling is - if I have to go to work - well at least I work at a good place that cares about me.
So it is 'Infinite Joy' week again - we rotate the weekly focus. And as all our employees are automatically enrolled in a wrap around private health package - whatever your role in the company ; this week is TEETH week. We were all so impressed by the smiles in Love Island that it was obvious that the Love Island that is Newton Trailers site in Ridgmont also needs to have a TEETH Week.
So we have asked all the unit managers to audit their team and ensure that they are aware of the teeth health care benefit; that they have had a hygenist inspection or have one booked - free of charge. If they need free time off to attend they can have it.
So we might not look good in a thong but we should all have good teeth health here at Newton - Infinite Joy.
Posted by Andrew on 18/02/2025
Mink Coat and No Knickers
and Merry Christmas to you all too. We don't normally give a shout out to the Accounts and Numbers people in our lives - unloved and unwashed as they are. We, as have every other company on the planet, have been embedding AI systems into our internal accounts for 4 years now. This has allowed us to reduce our accounts activity to just 40 minutes each day for 1 person - down from 3 people. 'Way hey' you might say - or 'what a shite flex etc'. So what is the benefit for you - my lovely suppliers (and customers)?
Well it means we pay our suppliers the same day as we receive the invoice: zero days; nada. Every Business School would be running from this with their head on fire shouting 'NO - are you mad?' Well - a little perhaps. It means we miss out on millions of pounds of your cash - we do not use you as our bank.
We owe nobody anything - nor have we since 1997. It does mean we have Knickers and we observe most of our competition 'On Stop' or without supply this Christmas whilst walzing around in a Mink Coat. We have lost count of the number or our suppliers that tell us of the manufacturing companies that do not pay them or do not have a proverbial pot to piss in. Not us - that is not our way. We love all of our suppliers and when they give us good service and good products they are paid - SAME DAY.
Merry Christmas and raise a toast to 'Newton Trailers' (who is the one who pays you same day).
Posted by Andrew on 18/12/2024
