A building which played a massive part in the automotive history of Coventry has been reborn as a high-tech production plant.

Leading automotive engineering firm CPP has established a specialist manufacturing plant at the Bayton Road Industrial Estate – and has already taken on 70 staff.

The new operation has been established in the former home of Abbey Panels, known as Exhall Point, part of Loades Plc’s property portfolio, where CPP have entered into a new lease.

And to mark the establishment of CPP Advanced Manufacturing Ltd, the company invited the principals of Loades Plc, to inspect to new production facility.

Mark Bletsoe, operations director of CPP Advanced Manufacturing, said the company already had orders in place to fill seventy five percent of the 170,000 sq ft, 10 acre site and had already achieved a VW supplier accreditation and VW quality approval rating which was a major task within such a short space of time.

“We produce exterior and interior trim and body closures in aluminium and stainless steel for high-end luxury car manufacturers,” he said.

“It is work we have always done in low volume at our headquarters in the city, but we felt there was a market we could grow through our expertise in the field.

“That proved to be the case and we soon had to look for a new home. The work is coming in quickly and we have been inundated with enquiries from all parts of the automotive industry.

“We now have an excellent ratio of producing high volume at the Bayton Road site and low volume at the city headquarters.

“We have a very skilled workforce and have taken on more staff from Piano Forte, a Northampton company whose assets we acquired when it ceased trading.

“The luxury end of the automotive market is thriving and we have the skills to produce the quality of work they demand and cannot obtain elsewhere. We are very optimistic for the future.”

CPP Global Holdings has its headquarters on the Seven Stars Industrial Estate in Coventry and specialises in the low-volume, high quality manufacture of vehicles and components.

It is currently buying Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker and is due to produce its first totally British made model under its ownership later this year.

Earlier this year it also bought Bowler Off Road Limited, the Derbyshire-based manufacturer of all-terrain supercars.

Matt Rose, Business Development Director CPP Manufacturing said: “Within CPP Group, we identified the opportunity in the market place to establish the products and services of CPP Advanced Manufacturing.

“Obviously, we are extremely proud to see it grow so quickly, and for Mark and his team to be recognized with this important quality accreditation from VW Group.”

The Exhall Point facility has been continually upgraded by Loades Plc over the last 5 years, with significant investment being committed to the infrastructure of the buildings.

D&P Holt were delighted to be of assistance to Coventry Prototype Panels (CPP).

With the opportunity for significant new contracts, CPP needed to urgently find upwards of 100,000 sq ft of manufacturing space at a reasonable cost.

Peter Holt, with his knowledge of the availability of space in the local property market, was able to both introduce the facility at Bayton Road to CPP and to assist in negotiating satisfactory terms to allow CPP to keep their property costs to a minimum in the early years, enabling them to afford the significant fit out costs required to set up this new facility within their expansion programme.

To help minimise some of these costs, D&P Holt were also able to arrange a subletting of part of the complex to Expert Tooling for a short term period while Expert Tooling were able to move forward with the development of their new facility on Banner Park.

(left to right): Tom Bromwich (Bromwich Hardy), Peter Holt (D&P Holt), Rob Loades, Matt Rose, Mark Bletsoe.

Rob Loades of Loades Plc said: “My brother Tony and I think it is wonderful to see the buildings humming with people making things. There have been some low times in the automotive market over the last few years, but it is great to see firms like CPP doing so well here in Coventry and we wish them well in their endeavours.

“We have been so impressed with the speed in which it has been set up, and the way it has organised itself.

“Mark and his team have established a very well run and organised operation and it is uplifting to hear about their plans for the future.”

Loades Plc is currently developing their adjoining 15 acre site, known as Loades EcoPark with the first speculative industrial /warehouse development in Coventry within the last four years and hope to attract similar tenants such as CPP to their new scheme. Loades EcoPark will create hundreds of jobs over the next few years, attracting high quality, technology driven business.