Evtec saves disabled workers jobs following acquisition of Arlington Automotive Coventry: January 8th 2021. At least 60 disabled workers will be offered their jobs back as Evtec Automotive rescues Coventry car parts manufacturer. The plant is back in business after its previous owners Arlington Industries Group went into administration in May 2020. As part of the rescue for an undisclosed eight figure sum, the new Evtec Automotive plant on Torrington Avenue, Coventry will continue to make car parts for many of the major players in the UK automotive sector, with a strong focus on supporting the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) sector. The automotive firm has long employed disabled workers. Originally it was part of Remploy, a scheme formerly sponsored by the Department of Work and Pensions to provide on-going sustainable employment for disabled people. Evtec Chairperson David Roberts is behind the acquisition which was completed this week. He has a long history with the plant, having acquired it from Remploy back in 2013, as the government scheme disbanded. It was then renamed Rempower and became a part of the Arlington Industries Group, which went into insolvency globally in May 2020 due to the coronavirus hitting car sales and manufacturing supply chains. David Roberts left Arlington in 2015 due to family reasons, and was approached in 2020 by JLR and Ford to buy the plant out of bankruptcy, and form the new company Evtec Automotive Ltd. The Evtec team, under Managing Director Kevin Hubbard, has been working hard on filling the plant’s orderbooks while the deal was under negotiation, and has reached its pre-coronavirus monthly sales of £7 million, and is on target to rescue approximately 200 jobs by end of March 2021, with 35% being given to disabled workers.
From its 80,000 sq ft plant, Evtec Automotive will continue to supply parts to the automotive industry, including OEMs, Tier One suppliers and the Aftermarket. Clients are auto manufacturers Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), Ford and Nissan, and also Aston Martin, Lotus, LEVC, McLaren, David Brown Automotive, Little Car Company and Tevva Motors.
JLR Director of Global Purchasing, Neil Marsons said:
“We are delighted to hear that this unique business is set to continue in line with its original purpose, especially in these challenging times. I wish David and the team every success as part of the thriving Midlands ecosystem of automotive businesses.”
Electric vehicles (EV) will be fundamental to the company’s success. As the demand for EVs grows, so does the requirement for various assemblies that cover battery, cooling wiring and hydraulic systems, which are widely used in hybrid and electric vehicles.
David Roberts comments: “The Coventry plant’s rebirth, in 2021, under the Evtec Automotive brand, represents its next natural evolution as it becomes an essential service to OEMs in the UK and Europe for complex assemblies in electrical and cooling systems.
“Re-building on its key ethos of practising disability in the workplace, combined with high ethical and social standards, the business is positioning itself as a key Tier One supplier to the rapidly growing EV sector. With JLR and Ford as major customers and wonderful supporters, the business has an ambitious growth plan as demand for electric vehicles grows. Employing more disadvantaged people combined with a commercial profit and being part of making our planet a greener place for our children, it can’t get any better.”