Cooke & Arkwright

New jobs created in £2m relocation

08/10/08

Acting on behalf of a private client, Cooke & Arkwright has sold 42,000 sq ft at Rassau Industrial Estate in the Heads of the Valleys to Whittal Williams Ltd. The vehicle repair and hire company has sold its 8,000 sq ft body shop in Abergavenny and invested approximately £2m on the acquisition and refurbishment of its new premises, and in new machinery and equipment. The company is doubling its processing capacity and plans to recruit up to 50 additional operatives during the next couple of months, taking its workforce to around 100.

“This is a major investment for the company,” said Managing Director Michael Bright. “We had more than outgrown our premises in Abergavenny and were overdue for expansion. We are now establishing a significant operation in the Heads of the Valleys which will make us the largest independent body shop in Wales and the South West.”

Jeremy Symons of Cooke & Arkwright said, “Whittal Williams has put a considerable amount of effort into transforming these premises and the results are impressive. The facilities offer what are effectively operating theatre conditions for vehicle repair. The location of the site on the Gwent Hereford border means it is perfectly positioned to serve the locality from Abergavenny to Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil as well as to Swansea, Cardiff, Bristol and beyond.”

The new service centre operates to PAS 125 British Kite Standard is geared to process up to 90 vehicles per week. Amongst the new equipment that has been installed is a ‘Car-o-Liner’ jig, which can realign damaged vehicles using high precision laser beams and restore a vehicle’s aerodynamics in just 20 minutes, rather than the traditional four hours. Throughout the workshop is a series of overhead pods that maintain a dust free environment in each of the operative areas.

Three large ‘Genesis Hi Air’, dual-end spray booths have been installed, which can accommodate all commercial vans and vehicles. The spray booth management system can accurately produce more than 90,000 colour matches using eco-friendly water based paints.

The company also operates an extensive vehicle hire facility from the site, with a large fleet of 420 vehicles. “We have retained our vehicle hire premises in Abergavenny where we have had a presence for 40 years,” said Mr Bright, who added, “We deal with all the major insurance companies and are one of the few completely independent service providers in our sector. I would equate our investment with taking us from playing football in the local park to playing in the premiership, with the facilities, technology and fiscal backing to go with it. It’s a confident and positive move in an otherwise adverse economic climate.”

Whittal Williams was established in Abergavenny 40 years ago by founder and former top Wales rally driver Randolf Roger Whittal-Williams. Managing Director Michael Bright first became involved with the firm ten years ago and has played an instrumental role in the expansion of Whittal Williams.

Pictured: Jeremy Symons, left with Michael Bright

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