Vehicle investment is start of major growth

A family business in Willenhall, which specialises in vehicle transport logistics, is investing in three new 11-car transporters. Birway Garage director Adrian Hammonds said that the business, which was started 41 years ago, was at the start of major growth plans which may eventually see it move to a new base in the Walsall area.

The Newhall Street business, which is now part of the Hammonds Group, started out as a car repair business with workshop room for one vehicle but had expanded steadily over the years.

Mr Hammonds took on the running of the garage business 17 years ago. His brother Phil is also a director at the company.

Adrian Hammonds said the current site was now too small to allow it to grow further with an operation limit of 15 transporters.

As Birway has grown it has taken on fleet work and collection and delivery of vehicles.

It now has eight car transporters ranging in size from two to 11 cars and with the addition of the three new vehciles, which will cost £645,000, is in the process of recruiting another five transporter drivers by January

"We are also trying hard to win bigger contracts as we look to grown and push the company forward," explained Mr Hammonds. He said they wanted to retain all 21existing staff: "We are committed to staying in the Walsall area and to looking after our existing customers from those who come to use for repairs to our major corporate clients."

An application for planning permission to re-develop the Newhall Street site for housing has recently been submitted to Walsall Borough Council.

"If we get that permission we will then look at finding a buyer and that will then fund the move to new premises," explained Mr Hammonds.

"We are working with the council to identify a suitable future site for us where we can employ more staff as we grow."

The company's fleet maintenance work is an important part of its business. It has worn approvals from 25 leasing companies to do work for them including Lex Autolease, Black Horse, Lombard Vehicle Management, Royal Bank of Scotland, GE Capital, AAH Pharmaceuticals and Bromford Housing Group.

The fleet work led to Birway starting collections of end of contract vehicles 10 years ago with just one truck.

Contracts

That led to collecting vehicles for British Car Auctions and then delivering new cars.

Mr Hammonds said the new transporters would help with winning new contracts in the finished vehicle market, moving unlicensed cars between istes and to dealers and the docks.

The Hammonds Group also includes Penham Excel, a county court bailiffs' business, and Hammonds UK, a repossession business, based at the group headquarters at Ashley House in Siemens Road, Stafford.