Bevan Group’s new French connection drives next-day bodies offer
UK-based operators of light tippers and dropsiders can take advantage of ultra-quick turnaround times on a comprehensive and well proven range of aluminium and steel bodywork by France’s foremost manufacturer JPM Group.
The company’s decision to appoint West Midlands-based Bevan Group as its sole UK distributor means domestic customers now have an attractive alternative to the lengthy delays they might otherwise face when sourcing bodies for vehicles with gross weights of 3,500-7,500kg from some other suppliers.
Initially, provided Bevan Group has at least six weeks’ notice of a chassis’ arrival it can fit a JPM body and have the finished vehicle ready for collection the following day. Going forward, Bevan plans to carry stock bodies for even shorter lead times.
“This is great news for operators across a broad spectrum of business activities, who in some cases have had to wait months to get their vehicles built,” declared Bevan Group Sales Director Roy Shelton.
Under the new agreement, Bevan will assemble JPM’s complete product portfolio across three of its production facilities in the Black Country and another on Merseyside. Bevan is already working on its first order, which is for 164 all-aluminium rear-end and three-way tipping bodies. These are being fitted to 3.5-tonne Nissan chassis and will then be delivered to a number of local authorities in Scotland.
JPM Group is the clear market leader in France and Europe’s number one manufacturer of aluminium dropsiders and tippers for commercial vehicles up to 7,500kg. With headquarters in Naucelle, in the south of the country, it produced some 10,000 bodies last year.
The company is a trusted Europe-wide ‘one-stop shop’ partner to Renault, Renault Trucks and the Stellantis brands of Citroën, Peugeot, Fiat and Opel (Vauxhall), fitting its bodywork on line at their factories. JPM also has direct supply agreements in France with Iveco and Mercedes-Benz.
In 2010 the company became the first manufacturer to introduce a 100% aluminium tipper and it has continued to pioneer the development of this weight-saving technology. “With its exceptional combination of high payload allowance and robust reliability, a JPM aluminium body represents a compelling proposition for the cost-conscious operator,” continued Roy Shelton. “Reduced body weight means fewer journeys, so not only will customers pay less for fuel but they’ll also cut their CO2 emissions.”
The JPM range is designed for and can be perfectly tailored to suit a host of applications, including landscaping and gardening, arboreal services, carpentry, building and civil engineering. The line-up comprises dropsiders and rear-end tippers in aluminium or steel; three-way tipping bodies are available in aluminium only.
Complementing these core products is a huge array of options. This encompasses everything from door configurations and load securing solutions such as nets, lashing rings and stops, to lockable storage boxes and vehicle access aids including folding ladders and handles, as well as tool holders and cone carriers.
Prospective customers can use the configurator on the JPM Group website to design their vehicle body, and Bevan will cover all products it fits in the UK with a three-year warranty on behalf of JPM.
Exports account for some 30% of JPM Group sales. The company has a distribution network of bodybuilders throughout Europe and is particularly strong in Germany, Belgium and Spain.
Export Manager Nathalie Bordas commented: “Bevan Group is exactly the kind of partner we like to work with. Our two companies are similar in size, both family-owned, and share a philosophy of driving growth through premium products and high-quality service.
General Manager Daniel Bevan and Roy Shelton made a fact-finding tour of JPM Group’s production facilities last summer, while Bevan hosted Ms Bordas and colleagues in December, when the agreement was signed.
“Bevan Group has a very good reputation,” she said. “Roy and his team have excellent contacts with the manufacturers and customers here in the UK, and we are confident that they can be trusted to develop our business and protect our brand in this important market.”
There are now more than 40,000 aluminium tippers by JPM in service on the Continent, and the company has particularly high hopes for its light-weight ‘FULL ALU’ range in the UK. “Of course, aluminium offers big advantages in terms of productivity and environmental compatibility,” said Ms Bordas.
“But with JPM’s products, there is also no compromise when it comes to strength and durability – they are designed and manufactured to be every bit as strong as steel. Indeed, Bevan’s ‘Built better for longer’ ethos could equally apply to our own aluminium bodies.”
Key to the structural integrity of JPM’s ‘FULL ALU’ tippers is the fact that all components, including the subframe, are aluminium. Unlike competitors the company does not use anodized aluminium profiles. Instead, it employs double-sided aluminium sheet, which is more rigid and robust.
Bevan Group, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is an established supplier to some of the biggest names on Britain’s roads. Added Roy Shelton: “We’ve made a flying start to 2026, with new as well as established customers confirming orders for our own, Bevan bodywork.
“This exclusive distribution agreement with JPM Group adds yet another string to the Bevan Group bow. Competitively priced, rigorously tested and built to an impressively high standard, JPM’s equipment opens new doors to markets in which we’ve not previously been heavily engaged.”