Clearview North September 2014 - Issue 154 | Page 72

COLOUR New owners for Auto-Plas International LTD. UK Plastic Moulding Specialists, Auto-Plas International, are on the move……. After 57 years of designing and manufacturing plastic components to service the automotive and glazing industries, the Harris family decided to sell the business. This tough decision was made after careful consideration to the future of the business and the needs of its loyal customers. The new owner, Laurence Hart, completed the acquisition of the company on the 1 July this year and has since been busy refining business development plans for the next three years with newly appointed Managing Director, Reshad Shamtally. A CLEAR VISION FOR GROWTH A successful and highly affluent businessman, Laurence - who also owns a long standing and reputable automotive, consumable spares company - has a clear vision on how the diverse business sectors of Auto-Plas can grow in line with current demands set within both the home improvement and auto manufacturing sectors on-shore. “Top of our immediate agenda is the relocation of the entire operation to a new facility nearby, where the business can be configured for sustainable growth, with careful consideration given to infrastructure, process control, flexibility and efficiency,” he explained. Obviously, moving the vast amount of machinery and tooling, including: no less than seven injection moulding lines ranging from 50T - 700T capability, five vacuum formers, ABB robotic paint system, two manual paint and preparation booths, Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) line……to quote only the largest pieces of equipment, requires very precise planning and the expertise of specialist movers who can handle unit weights greater t han 35T. “The ‘BIG’ move is currently underway and is being done in three key phases between August and October, to minimise disruption and ensure seamless continuity of supply and services to our customers, which is key,” Laurence added. NEW PRODUCTS TO LAUNCH IN 2015 “While moving the operation clearly requires specific focus as priority, other members of our team are also hard at work developing and qualifying a stream of new product innovations intended for staged roll out to market during 2015. New product Innovation is a key objective for us and is considered essential for 72 SEP 2014 ‘raising the quality standard of goods’ our future business growth,” said Reshad Shamtally. “Auto-Plas proactively engages customers and suppliers to explore areas of business development, whether it is collaboration, process improvement or mutually beneficial trade through existing or new goods and services.,” he added. “This strategy is intended to maximise utilisation of UK manufacturing capabilities and drive continuous improvement of operations, raising the quality standard of goods and increasing the flexibility of services beyond those of our competition.” To assist with the engineering effort on all fronts the company has partnered with the Institute for Manufacturing (Cambridge University), Essex County Council and Ford to formulate a series of specific project plans, utilising sponsored resources which will support the sustainable growth of the business over the next 12 months. EXCITING CHALLENGES These exciting challenges have come at a time when UK manufacturing is starting to display significant signs of growth due to consumer-driven demand for supply chains to provide: • Greater product options and bespoke services • Quick response with regards to product lead time and after sales service • Improved product quality and performance • Improved value for money • UK made product which is reliable beyond its expected lifecycle. These drivers provide a perfect opportunity for Auto-Plas to capitalise on its existing strengths, whilst fuelling growth with an injection of fresh innovations geared around qualified customer requirements. Watch this space... To read more, visit www.clearview-uk.com