HS2 contract puts manufacturer on right track a year after administration

Booth Industries has won a multi-year HS2 contract worth £36m, marking a key milestone for a business that was bought out of administration just 15 months ago.

It will create up to 50 jobs over the next 10 years and be manufactured at a new, purpose-built facility in Bolton.

The manufacturer, which is now a division of Avingtrans, will supply cross passage doors which will provide fire protection along both the London-Birmingham and Birmingham-Crewe phases of the route.

Mike Jenkinson, managing director of Booth Industries, said: “This is a landmark contract with a new customer, which recognises the extensive experience we have developed over years’ supplying high-integrity doorsets for a range of infrastructure projects.”

The initial phase of the contract will focus on developing and testing door and frame designs, with the first frames expected to be delivered to contractors before the end of 2021. Door manufacture will begin in 2025 with a project completion date of 2030.

Austen Adams, divisional managing director of Avingtrans’ Process Solutions and Rotating Equipment division, said: “This is great news for Booth. The business has enjoyed a promising 12 months since we acquired it following the collapse of its previous owner and the team has worked exceptionally hard to modernise its approach.

“When we took the decision to acquire the assets of the business from administration, we were excited by the history, reputation and wealth of design and engineering expertise it had built up over the years but there were clearly operational issues that were hampering performance.

“This contract recognises the teams’ vast experience and capabilities in the sector, along with the strides it has made to deliver a high-quality end-to-end service.”