CONTECHS — RIDING THE WAVE OF CHANGING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

Warwick-based Contechs is a leading provider of specialist design and engineering services to some of the world’s most well-known automotive engineering brands.

The company has seen phenomenal growth, organically and through strategic acquisition, over the last three years. This year it reported a turnover of £62 million, up from £58 million last year.

With clients such as Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley, the business, which was established in 1997, undertakes vehicle development from design concept to product launch and post-launch support. It also has a manufacturing facility in Warwick which designs and manufacturers car interiors.

Recognising that a key issue for UK engineering is a lack of skilled people, it established a recruitment division, which sources high calibre contract labour for clients, along with fully managed teams and the placement of permanent staff. The company also operates a longstanding in-house apprenticeship and graduate programme.

In 2017 and 2018, Contechs was listed in the Sunday Times International Track 200, which ranks Britain’s mid-market private companies with the fastest-growing international sales. In 2018 Contechs made overseas sales of £12.5 million.

Managing Director Peter Jarvis is upbeat about the company’s growth: “We provide a diverse, scalable offering, and with the focus on electric and autonomous vehicles, we are involved in a significant amount of development work.”

With sites in Warwick, Basildon, Germany and India, Contechs can maximise economies of scale. “And with the low strength of sterling, we can currently offer high levels of skills and design capabilities at globally competitive rates,” he added. “The whole concept of vehicle technology is changing,” said Peter. “Some of what we are doing is pure research and development, but always applied to real world situations. We also do a lot of pre-production simulation work. In past vehicle programmes, vehicle development simulation would be on vehicle prototype lines. That’s all changed as the technology has developed and it can be done through software packages concurrently in the concept and design stages.

Fastest growth region outside London

Coventry & Warwickshire enjoys the fastest growth of any region outside London. The West Midlands is the most popular destination for tech professionals relocating from London and most popular UK region for foreign direct investment.

Scale-ups are part of this success, and Coventry & Warwickshire partners offer substantial business support. From local support programmes or help from Innovate UK, APC UK, Midlands Engine or the Department for International Trade. For scale-ups, Business Ready, run by the University of Warwick Science Park and funded by ERDF and Warwickshire County Council as part of the Coventry & Warwickshire Business: Start, Grow & Scale Programme, supports tech-based SME firms across the Coventry & Warwickshire LEP with ambitions to grow and scale.

Invest in Coventry & Warwickshire support, existing businesses to scale up and new businesses to set up here, accessing the benefits of locating in this high tech gateway. For more information visit www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk or email contact@investcw.co.uk