Pictured above: (l-r) Lee Dimmock (Bevan Motor Bodies), Adrian Bailey (MP for West Bromwich West), Anthony Bevan (Bevan Motor Bodies) and Martin McKeever (MAS-WM)

The future of vehicle motor bodies was on display today when a leading Oldbury manufacturer showcased its new environmentally-friendly model that has already chalked up in excess of £2m of sales.

Bevan Motor Bodies, which employs 160 people across its four sites in the Black Country, gave Adrian Bailey (MP for West Bromwich West and Chair of the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee) a special demonstration of the 'Bevan 21'.

The aerodynamic eco body reduces weight, increases payload and cuts the carbon footprint of the vehicle and provides customers with a Millbrook-approved 15% saving on fuel costs.

"We are always looking at developing new products to stay ahead of the market and the low carbon marketplace offers us an excellent opportunity to put our design and technical expertise to the fore," explained Lee Dimmock, Operations Director.

"Working with the Manufacturing Advisory Service-West Midlands, our in-house team spent hundreds of hours developing the aerodynamic frame that gives the 'Bevan 21' such unique performance."

He continued: "The response from our customers has been phenomenal, with the likes of Nightfreight placing orders and Argos requesting 100 vehicles. It's win-win for them as they're improving their green credentials whilst enjoying a positive impact on their bottom line."

Adrian Bailey was joined on the tour by MAS-WM Specialist Manufacturing Advisor Martin McKeever and spent time looking at the company's facilities, including the fleet and volume manufacturing line and the impressive new graphics division.

He was also given a detailed insight into the full Bevan range, which includes box bodies, curtainsiders and dropsides in sizes starting from 3.5 tonnes right through to 26 tonnes. 

Lee went on to add: "Our order intake is now experiencing impressive increases in 2010, with the industry generally still recovering from the impact of a 65% drop in sales through the leaner times last year.

"Employment has also increased and, with exciting plans for new model variations in the pipeline, we expect more jobs to be created shortly."

Bevan Motor Bodies has been working closely with MAS-WM for a number of years on a series of business improvement processes and more recently on development of the 'Bevan 21'.

The next project will involve re-designing the rear of the existing model and looking at ways in which the original concept can be transferred into an industry-first 3.5 tonne version.

Adrian Bailey MP added his support: "Bevan is a perfect example of how manufacturing in the West Midlands is evolving. It has successfully recognised the need to develop new products to remain competitive and the launch of 'Bevan 21' has pushed them to the forefront of the vehicle bodybuilding industry.

"It has tapped into the demand for low carbon transport and thanks to targeted business support from MAS is generating wealth and creating local jobs."

Bevan is one of 3000 companies in the West Midland to have tapped into the Manufacturing Advisory Service - West Midlands' in-depth support, which ranges from dedicated business reviews and process improvement consultancy to specialist assistance with sourcing, workforce development and launching new products.

The support body, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), also has a special focus on advanced manufacturing and low carbon as it aims to provide the region's manufacturing base with the expertise to compete in the global marketplace.

Martin McKeever, Specialist Manufacturing Adviser at MAS-WM, concluded: "Launching a new product into the marketplace takes massive investment and time so it is great to see the volume of orders being achieved by Bevan so far. It points to a very promising future for the business."