Stoke-On-Trent Truck Stop Finalists in Business Awards

A TRUCK park in Stoke-on-Trent will be celebrated at an annual Staffordshire Business Awards ceremony following its commitment to supporting the local economy. Longton-based ADS Truck Parking are finalists in the 'High Street Impact' category of the Staffordshire University Business Awards. Since opening the business in 2018, owner Andrew Sargent and partner Berni Buxton, have transformed a derelict site into a 'home from home' for UK and International drivers.

Andrew and Berni are also committed to supporting other businesses, in and around Longton town centre, and regularly encourage drivers to visit the shops and market. "We have local businesses in the town centre saying to us that they have had our drivers in their shops," says Andrew. "I regularly visit a barbers in the town and he has said to me several times that he's seen an increase in footfall over some weekends when drivers have gone out to get their hair cut there - which is just brilliant."

Berni added: "We use the local shops and market quite a lot - Longton is a great little town, so why wouldn't we encourage others to do the same? "When a driver comes in we always say, go out of your truck and explore Longton and get a taste of Stoke-on-Trent. It's not just UK drivers, but drivers from overseas who come back and tell us that they love the town and then they tell others - it's brilliant."

In 2023, ADS Truck Parking was awarded GBP222,500 as part of the Department for Transport's HGV Parking and Driver Welfare Grant Scheme which enabled new facilities. Earlier this year they installed new washrooms, a large cafe area serving home cooked food, an outdoor seating area and a games room - all to provide comforts for long-distance drivers needing a break from the road. The Staffordshire University Business Awards launched in 2023, with the aim to celebrate businesses of all sectors and sizes.

Winners will be announced at a special celebration ceremony on Thursday 5 September at the university's Catalyst building.