One of the UK’s oldest vehicle manufacturers doubles order-book

Rapid expansion for one of Britain’s oldest fire and rescue vehicle manufacturers means working with a supply-chain that can keep pace.

According to The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Automotive Sustainability Report 2019, supply chains are “essential to production” and “closely linked” to a company’s KPIs, frequently representing key investment decisions.

With £1.1billion investment announced by the Government in 2017 for vehicle supply chain and manufacture, and a commitment to “continue to provide targeted business measure to encourage sustainable growth and development in the UK automotive supply chain” there is an indication management of the supply chain should be a key objective for business action plans.

The vehicle manufacturer has been designing, manufacturing and supplying firefighting and rescue vehicles and equipment for many years and the business also designs, manufactures and installs bespoke fire training rigs. The company works across a wide range of sectors, from local authorities including police firearms training units, defence, through to industrial and offshore rigs.

This is an award-winning company which also exports vehicles globally, supplying the full range of fire and rescue vehicles and equipment including hydraulic rescue equipment, nozzles, pumps and extinguishers.

With a growing order book and rapid expansion into new premises, it has been vital for the team to have the support of a reliable supply chain like Zoro UK.

A spokesperson for the business said: “We are very proud of our international after-sales and service department. The fire service demand and deserve more than just the supply of new equipment; they need back-up for its operational lifetime, and as such require maintenance support and spare parts availability for many years.

“Ordering parts and tools from Zoro allows us to keep a high standard of delivery and service for our customers. Zoro’s service allow us to keep the supply chain moving.”

Three large UK contracts along with growing global sales, this British manufacturer has doubled production predicts a multimillion-pound uplift within the next twelve months.

Increased production and rapid expansion have meant new premises with the view to doubling production capacity.

The spokesperson said: “Increased capacity has meant that we need parts and tools on demand. Zoro’s next day delivery means we can work to workload and capacity, without over ordering.”

Chris Matenaers, Marketing Director at Zoro, said: “We like our customers to see us as an integral part of their business, capable of responding to the growth, development and changing demand of their businesses.”