Turbo technology firm supercharges growth plan

AN innovative Warwickshire company that has developed new turbo technology for the automotive industry has supercharged its own growth plans.

Aeristech, based in Princes Drive, Kenilworth, has been developing electric superchargers for nearly a decade, working with academic institutions and industry.

The company’s concept is attracting interest from a range of automotive manufacturers – including OEMs and Tier One suppliers – following years of work in proving the concept that was developed by founder and Chief Technical Officer Bryn Richards.

Aeristech has invested £66,000 in a new test cell facility at its Kenilworth headquarters that is helping it to run its most comprehensive assessments yet – providing full data on how the technology would perform throughout the lifetime of a vehicle.

The firm has benefited from the number of specialists based nearby, which it has accessed during the course of its work.

The firm has also been assisted in its development by the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP Growth Hub, which issued the firm with a £26,000 grant, administered through the Warwickshire County Council fund.

The funding helped to kit out the test facility with the latest cutting-edge equipment which has already led to three new jobs taking the company to 18 staff. The business now plans to take on one new member of staff per month for the next year.

By 2020, the technology could be ‘on the road’ within a vehicle and would help to reduce emissions but not compromise on performance.

Mr Richards said: “The support from the Growth Hub has been invaluable. They approached us pro-actively to see if they could help us and the work we’ve done has accelerated our plans.

“We want to add 12 new members of staff over the next year and we are getting to the point where we first start to see our technologies in vehicles – it’s looking likely to be around 2020. The Growth Hub will be our first port of call for any more help we need.”

Jaymie Thakordas, an account manager with CWLEP Growth Hub, said: “It has been great to work with Aeristech and it promises to be another great success story for our region’s automotive engineering sector.

“The support is here for companies who want to grow and we can help to speed up that growth – which is great news for the individual business but also for the wider economy.”