Engineering company relocates to support growth and new jobs

A BIRMINGHAM engineering company has relocated to larger premises to support growth and help sustain 30 new jobs.

Autotech, which designs, installs, maintains and upgrades electronic control systems, has been based at SEGRO’s Kings Norton Business Centre (KNBC) since 2002.

When the firm started up it employed just four people. The subsequent decade has seen it grow to the point where it employs 24, with more being recruited.

However, rather than leave the business centre, the company has opted to move from its existing 2,136 sq ft unit in Castle Road to a larger unit just a few doors down. The new unit, at 4,841 sq ft, more than doubles the amount of space available to the business.

The firm supplies components the automotive sector and counts Jaguar Land Rover and BMW among its customers. The company also provides logistics and warehousing services for the likes of Procter and Gamble, Kimberley Clark, Coca Cola and major supermarkets such as Asda and Tesco.

The company is expected to turnover £15m this year, compared to £3m in 2003, after seeing the business grow by 20% year on year.

Jane Leedham, leasing manager for SEGRO, said: “We are pleased to be able to provide Autotech with more space for its existing team and to accommodate its growing workforce. As well as investing in the building to create new modern offices for our computerised engineering workstations, we have also installed a robot training facility and specialist 3D software simulation suites.

Nigel Brookes, sales director for Autotech, said: “Our team is constantly expanding so we needed a larger office unit that would give them plenty of space to work in. As well as work stations, we have installed a robot training facility for training purposes and Robcad areas to create 3D simulations.

“We stayed within the KNBC because it is centrally located and within close proximity to the motorway network. We are also very close to Solihull and Castle Bromwich, which is where one of our largest customers, Jaguar Land Rover, is based.”