Ingimex collaborates with Vauxhall to send flat-pack kits direct to Zeebrugge

Sep 05

A new manufacturing arrangement with Vauxhall sees Telford body manufacturer Ingimex sending flat-pack kits of its Titan tipper and F2 dropside conversions directly to Zeebrugge for assembly at Vauxhall’s conversion centre.

Ingimex has been supplying F2 dropsides to Vauxhall since 2003, and Titan tippers since 2004. Previously, vehicles arriving from port of entry for conversion would be sent to the company’s purpose-built factory in Telford, Shropshire, before being despatched to dealers. The new arrangement sees Ingimex sending flat-pack kits to Vauxhall’s conversion centre at Zeebrugge where Ingimex-trained workers assemble the bodies. When vehicles arrive at the UK port of entry, they are despatched directly to the retailer network.

Retailers are already seeing the benefits as Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles product manager Rupert Johnston explained: “There’s the convenience factor of retailers being able to order tippers and dropsides without having to arrange the conversions themselves, with full technical details and pricing information carried in all Vauxhall literature. Lead times are cut by four weeks and, because we are in a stronger position to forecast demand from retailers, we can ensure better continuity of supply. In terms of product quality, the key benefit is that the warranty on the conversion matches the base vehicle.”

The new arrangement was four months in the planning, with Vauxhall expanding its capabilities at Zeebrugge to handle the tipper conversion. A production team from Ingimex ran trial installations at Zeebrugge, modifying the make-up of the kit and testing issues of conformity and consistency to the limit before sign off.

According to Managing Director Justin Gallen, Ingimex is uniquely placed to provide manufacturing solutions of this scope: “Standardisation of design, validated performance and consistent build quality are crucial factors to the success of our partnership with Vauxhall. The Titan Tipper, for example, has validated safety features and standardisation built in to the design. Bolted construction for different modules allows us to subcontract installation work certain in the knowledge that the final assembled product meets world-class manufacturing standards.”

As part of Vauxhall’s marketing programme, retail customers who order a Movano Chassis Cab or Crew Cab Core Conversion will receive the F2 dropside or Titan tipper body conversion free of charge. The offer lasts until the end of September 2005, and gives savings of up to £2,960 + VAT.

Email this story