Our History
Our Early Days
​
The business began with Dave Rees and his trusty van, a simple idea driven by hard work, skill, and a passion for quality. As demand grew, Dave invited friends and family to join him, forming a close-knit team built on shared values and dedication. Originally known as The Van Liners, the business quickly earned a reputation for practical, durable van conversions that met the needs of local tradespeople and businesses.
From day one, our foundations have been honesty, quality craftsmanship, and genuine customer care, values that continue to guide us today. Thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations and loyal repeat customers, the company grew steadily.
Today, that one-man operation has become one of the UK’s most respected names in light commercial vehicle conversions, still proudly upholding the same traditional values that started it all.
Becoming Vanliners
In 2004, the business restarted as Vanliners. From our modest Bolton site, we started with a small team of 20, offering basic plywood conversions and racking solutions. From day one, our foundations were honesty, quality craftsmanship, and genuine customer care, values that continue to guide us today.
As demand grew, we expanded our services to include complex conversions, a wider range of vehicle customisation options, and even body building, a significant industry segment.
2004
In 2020, Vanliners relocated its headquarters to facilitate expansion across all areas of our business. Over the past five years, we have established a state-of-the-art 'Centre of Excellence' – a modern office designed to streamline operations and provide a dedicated space for employee training and professional development. Construction of The Centre of Excellence was completed at the end of 2023.
Expanding the facility significantly strengthened our national reach. We increased conversion capacity to over 350 vehicles per week, diversified our expertise to cater to a wider range of light commercial sectors, and exceeded customer expectations.
This expansion enabled us to specialise in chassis body types, increase modular racking systems, and offer fully renewable plastic lining kits, further enhancing our operational capabilities.