Automotive

Telford has a history of playing a significant part in the automotive supply chain, as well as being near all major OEMs in the West Midlands, and across the UK. 

As transport vehicle producers secure greater composite utilisation in their manufacturing processes, Telford’s already proven expertise in polymers, rubbers and plastics has supported the diversification of our economy, offering significant opportunities for companies looking to relocate. 

The automotive industry continues to be a growing sector with market shifts towards zero emission battery electric vehicles, and a growing rise in alternatively fuelled vehicles. New Technologies, combined with industry lead training initiatives are continuing to secure Telford as an attractive market for all automotive manufacturing. 

Thriving in Telford:  
 

Denso Manufacturing Ltd, (est.1990) is one of the world's largest automotive suppliers of technology and components found in almost all vehicles around the globe – Toyota, Honda, FCA, General Motors, Ford, Volvo Mercedes-Benz, to name a few.   At the heart of the company is a positive working culture which includes, the Monozukuri Skills Promotion Centre, established to promote and develop the craftsmanship and manufacturing way of working, through quality products, systems, and technology. There is also a strong commitment to the local community and sustainability.  

Borgers Ltd, the Telford site (est. 1987) was the second overseas site to open and is where products are manufactured for BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, amongst other car makers. Since its foundation in 1866 Borgers has mostly been a supplier to the automotive industry, even though then it was coaches which were fitted with wadding. At the same time, Borgers is one of the oldest recycling companies, as even then company founder Johann Borgers used shredded fibres in manufacturing, i.e. raw material obtained from second-hand textiles and leftovers from the clothing industry. By growing steadily, with its sites and co-operations it has developed into a worldwide operating partner of the automotive industry, now supplying acoustically effective textile components from nineteen plants worldwide. 

Polytec Group, built its state-of-the-art paint shop facility in Telford (2018). The £18 million project created one hundred jobs and enabled just-in-sequence delivery. The location of other UK based plants and the proximity to customers, like Jaguar Land Rover, provided a competitive advantage. The 7,500 m2 of production space was ideally located and up to 3,000 components upgraded with Class A top coatings leave the premises daily. The complete automation of the painting facility provided a marked increase in capacity and the plant has been designed to be scalable so that higher capacities can be made available at any time with only limited additional investment. 

Key Stats

• The UK exported 1,334,538 vehicles in in 2017
• 1.6 million Passenger vehicles, and 71,000 commercial vehicles in 2014.
• 2,722,325 engines were built in the UK in 2017
• The West Midlands Combines Authority produces around 1/3 of all UK vehicles manufactured.
• 7 out of 10 formula 1 teams are based in the UK – Force India, Lotus, Marussia, McLaren, Mercedes, Red bull and Williams
• The automotive industry accounts for £82bn in turnover with 856,000 people employed across Auto UK
• Telford has approximately 10,000 jobs in automotive (3,000 jobs in tier 1 and 7,000 tier 2 and tier 3)