"This is a really exciting time for the company and the support of the Growth Hub has been instrumental as we continue to grow"
Steve Charlton, SAC Co Engineering Design Ltd
An ambitious design, engineering, tooling and manufacturing business in Coventry has expanded its workforce after investing over £450,000 in new premises and machinery.
SAC & Co Engineering Design Ltd, which supplies engineering design and manufacturing technologies to the automotive, defence and aerospace sectors, spent the money refurbishing and upgrading its new home at Cavans Way at the Binley Industrial Estate.
Its 25-strong team – which has been boosted by ten following the move – are benefiting from two purpose-built studios, a mezzanine office over two floors for computer-aided engineers and support staff, sheet metal fabrication bays, trim build and assembly, and a product assembly suite.
LED lighting has also been installed throughout the buildings thanks to a grant after the business was assisted by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub.
Nearly £75,000 in grants was secured from the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme and the Coventry & Warwickshire Business Support Programme which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The new-look facility also includes a paint shop which has been leased by SAC & Co Engineering Design Ltd to Andy Hawtin, who has launched his own business, Total Paint Solutions.
The business accessed a grant of £8,200 for the new paint shop from the Manufacturing Growth Programme, which is funded by the ERDF and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions, part of Oxford Innovation Services Ltd.
Steve Charlton, Managing Director at SAC & Co Engineering Design Ltd, said fantastic support from the Growth Hub had been instrumental in its successful refit.
He said: “We work with global names such as Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin and we needed premises which reflect that and the extensive refurbishment has been well received by our team and our customers.
“We work with strategic partners whether it is creating tooling for an historic car or bespoke furniture designs for a private jet.
“We wanted to invest in our future and we anticipate being able to fill this facility and remain as a leading location for the owners of niche vehicles.
“Around £100,000 has been invested in a state-of-the-art photogrammetric scanning system and a further £40,000 in a fully mobile handheld scanner and we are confident these will pay dividends.
“As part of our expansion we have transformed a former truck workshop into a brand-new paint shop which we are leasing to Andy Hawtin of Total Paint Solutions who has over 30 years’ experience in painting everything from carbon fibre supercars to classic cars.
“This is a really exciting time for the company and the support of the Growth Hub has been instrumental as we continue to grow.”
Justine Chadwick, Account Manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said SAC & Co Engineering Design Ltd has totally transformed the 13,000 sq ft premises.
“The Growth Hub is here to help businesses whatever their size or sector and SAC & Co Engineering Design Ltd is definitely standing out from the crowd with the wide range of services they provide,” she said.
“It is fantastic that the grants we helped to secure were used towards their refurbishment and new machinery and all their hard work throughout their refurbishment and the company’s significant investment has definitely paid off.
“It has not been an easy time for businesses with all the uncertainty surrounding Brexit and it is great to see the resilience that is being shown by SAC & Co Engineering Design Ltd and many other companies in Coventry and Warwickshire.”
