Publisher swoops for motorsport firm

GDS Engineering, the Brackley-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of and to pit garages in motorsport and related industries, has a new owner.

Publishing entrepreneur, Graham Harris, who is responsible for leading industry titles Motorsport Monday and MotorsportWeek.com, has purchased the company from its founder, Dudley Bacon and has ambitious plans to expand both the product range and reach of the business.

GDS is behind the seamless pit garage walling systems used in the motorsport industry and now supplies these to numerous teams and organisations, including the sport’s governing body, the FIA. More of the company’s garages can be found in Formula 1 and Formula E as well as with the majority of the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans teams. GDS has also developed its own high quality anti-static race-flooring as well as supplying the pit-lane gantry lighting rigs at Le Mans each year. The company also offers other items of pit garage equipment such as timing boards, pit perches, helmet driers and flight cases.

“I have been impressed by GDS’s work in pit lanes around the world over for many years,” said Harris.

He added: “They are benchmark for the industry in terms of garage walling, floor and gantry lighting systems and the company’s customer service for its global clients is also excellent. When I became aware there might be an opportunity to buy GDS it was something I knew I had to seriously investigate – and here we are. I am truly excited about the future for the company.”

Harris, who has been involved in motorsport for four decades, as competitor, team owner, journalist and publisher, sees a huge potential for GDS. He said: “We have a fantastic product offering at GDS, which we can pitch at various price points to suit both the serious competitor and the up-and-coming teams too. I feel that we have only really scratched the surface of what is possible. We also have distributor partners in many countries around the world and we aim to widen and strengthen this network as part of our expansion plans.”

Alistair Frary will continue in his role as GDS’s sales director and will spearhead the company’s sales drive for further growth while Harris’s business partner in the publishing side of his business, Ryan Wood, expands his responsibilities to become group marketing director. Emma Oliver will be promoted to administrative and logistics manager.

GDS founder, Dudley Bacon, whose patented designs are behind the GDS product range, will remain with GDS in the role of production consultant.

He said: “I think we have come a long way since I founded GDS in the early 2000s and I am delighted to still be playing an active role, which will help provide continuity for Graham and the team – but overall, I felt very much that the time was right to hand on the baton to the next generation.”