It all began with one man and his truck – and now it is one of the biggest operators of its kind.

WB Services UK is the success story of one man driving a 7.5-tonne Swedish-built Hiab crane truck in 2002, making air conditioning unit deliveries all over the UK, and turning this into the biggest fleet of long-reach Hiab vehicles available anywhere in the UK.

Based in Botany Road, Northfleet, the specialist transport service firm’s fleet of 20 HGVs has cranes with long jib lengths offering customers a more environmentally friendly solution where loads are collected, transported to sites and craned on to rooftops.

WB Services’ method helps lower the carbon footprint by using one vehicle rather than a lorry and a separate mobile crane. When it comes to staff, all personnel in the operations department hold 10 to 50 years’ experience within the transport logistics, manual handling and crane hire industries.

Customer service is as important as getting the job done, and director Darren Burke said knowledge and politeness on site were as important as the minimum time spent delivering goods.

The company covers Greater London and the South East, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and customers include major construction companies as well as Crossrail, Network Rail, the Olympic Park and recently the London Marathon.

Mr Burke said: “Working within the industry, I know how frustrating things can be, especially within the M25.

“Not only is there the crane to sort out, there’s getting transport to site on time, site surveys, arranging road closures with local authorities, parking suspensions, bus diversions and traffic management to be correctly put into place.

“WB Services aims to take this headache away from our clients by providing a package that caters for the whole of the above at competitive rates.”

WB Services is one of the contenders in this year's Dartford and Gravesham Business Awards.

The Dartford and Gravesham Business Awards are supported by the Messenger. This year’s award sponsors are Dartford council, Gravesham council, Barnes Roffe, Kent Business School (University of Kent), the KM Group (Dartford Messenger and Gravesend Messenger), Lloyds Bank, Thomson Snell and Passmore, Edinburgh House, University of Greenwich and Mid Kent College.

The closing date for entries is July 31. If you would like to enter, visit www.dgbawards.co.uk