Cardinalis Concrete, based in Longstanton, Cambridge, has bucked the economic downward trend and increased its fleet of lorries this year to deliver 30 per cent more product to customers.

Michele Hall, operations manager, said: “The concrete business is extremely competitive, particularly with pricing, but the service we offer is rather unique compared to other suppliers due to the design of our lorries.”

Cardinalis uses volumetric mixers which means that as well as delivering fresh concrete, small amounts can also be delivered with no part-load charges.

Mixes can also be adapted on site and can offer different strengths off one pour. Deliveries can also be made night or day with a 24/7 hotline available to customers.

Cardinalis Concrete was set up in 2005 with one lorry and was originally  intended to serve the workload of its parent company, £35m turnover John Henry Group.

The communications business wanted to reduce its spend on concrete and to cut down on time spent by gangs waiting to pick up concrete from other plants.

Cardinalis today has five state-of-the-art lorries on the road, makes 90 per cent of its sales to private customers and in 2009 turned over £1.5 million.

Michele, who has worked at the John Henry Group for 13 years, added: “I was originally asked to ‘oversee’ Cardinalis at its inception as it was only meant to be a couple of orders a day. So I am obviously very proud of the fact that it has grown as it has.”

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Looking ahead to more growth in 2011 – Michele Hall, operations manager at Cardinalis Concrete