Briggs secures £250,000 contract with Car Parts Industries

CANNOCK-based Briggs Equipment has won a new contract worth £250,000 to supply materials handling equipment to remanufacturer of automotive parts Car Parts Industries (CPI).

CPI, which operates from a 135,000 sq. ft. facility in Wednesbury, remanufactures products such as brake callipers, steering racks and steering pumps for an extensive range of cars and light commercial vehicles.

During the past two years it has seen a significant upturn in demand for its products, which has fuelled business development.

Briggs has supplied a mix of forklift trucks and lift and access equipment with a capital value of £250,000, all of which will be deployed in the core and finished goods warehouses. Under the terms of the five-year rental contract, Briggs is also providing a maintenance and service package.

Business growth has prompted major investment by CPI, which has created a centre of excellence for steering units and brake callipers – products for which it is market leader – at its Wednesbury base and set up its own research and development centre in Manchester.

This investment has also boosted jobs, with CPI’s workforce increasing to 232, up from 75 people in 2010.

CPI’s purchasing manager Darren Causer said: “The cornerstone of our materials handling strategy was to invest in top quality machinery that would give us the capacity for further development as well as the ability to cover our current needs.

“To achieve this it was important to partner with a well-established supplier who understands what’s important to us as a business. Briggs was the only real choice, providing a solution that will deliver the product reliability and quality of service we require.”

Briggs Equipment’s Jamie Palmer said: “Car Parts Industries controls the entire remanufacturing process, from parts and production to sales and service, so it has to be able to rely on its materials handling fleet.
 
“Having worked closely with the purchasing team for the past 18 months, we are delighted to have structured a package which gives CPI the flexibility to meet both existing and future requirements as its business continues to grow.”