Bott Ltd.

Bott has invested £1 million in a new extension at its Ashby-de-la-Zouch site

The Bott Group companies are global manufacturers and suppliers of assembly, workspace, in-vehicle and mobility solutions. As a trusted partner to many specialist brands in manufacturing, motorsport, aerospace and education, Bott offers high-quality value-for-money products, services and solutions.

Bott operates in three countries in the EU: Germany, Hungary and in the UK, where it has two competence centres, including a manufacturing facility at its British HQ in Bude, Cornwall, and a fitting centre for vehicle conversions in Ashbyde- la-Zouch, Leicestershire. It also operates a vehicle conversion centre in Cumbernauld, Scotland.

Clive Woodward – Bott Group COO, based in Cornwall, has been with the company for over 30 years.

“We sell workspace organisation to help customers improve and evolve and get the best from their working environments. What we try to ensure is that the technology that we apply, the processes we use, the culture that pervades through the organization, is one which is focused on delivering value for the customer,” he says.

Bott’s ‘Built to Last’ philosophy drives every aspect of its business. From design to product testing and to manufacture, its processes and culture give it the confidence to stand behind its products. All of its UK manufactured products come with a 10-year extended guarantee.

Many of Bott’s products have evolved from designs that were created to solve specific problems, but the company’s service goes well beyond simple supply of product. It regularly designs, manufacture and installs high specification project solutions to meet customers’ unique requirements. The priority is to provide all round excellent service and a heightened brand experience for every client.

Our Environment 

This is an age where sustainable growth and environmental awareness are at the core of any business success. Environmentally, Bott is ISO14001 accredited, so customers and stakeholders can be assured that the company takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. It further demonstrates its commitment through additional structured processes and policies, such as the installation of solar arrays at its manufacturing facilities, which generates a significant proportion of the energy required to support ongoing operations.

Bott’s energy committee continuously looks for energy saving opportunities. It invested in rainwater recycling facilities, which collect water for use in manufacturing processes and toilet flushing. Bott proactively invests in systems to treat waste products from its processes. For example, it has built an effluent treatment plant, which removes traces of heavy metals and other pollutants and ensures that the treated water can be processed by the water authority.

To minimise the environmental impact of its transport fleet, Bott has invested in the latest Euro 6 compliant vehicles, and installed electric charge points for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The environmental factor has also featured heavily in product design. More of its mobile customers are demanding lightweight, ethical and sustainable products so Bott is continuing to focus R&D efforts on developing ever-greater sustainability for the client base.

Bott Vario 3 van racking

The Making of the Future 

Apprenticeships have long been at the core of Bott’s business; over 20% of the current workforce has come through and benefitted from various education and training schemes. Simon Willshire, Design Manager, joined the company as an apprentice back in the 1980s and rose up the corporate ladder into several management positions. He isn’t alone; many of Bott’s managerial positions are currently held by people who have forged a long-term, successful career out of apprenticeship beginnings.

“I’ve lived the engineering apprenticeship story and am testament to its success,” Simon says. “I’m therefore passionate about continuing these schemes for others.”

Simon is also the company’s STEM Ambassador and Industry Enterprise Advisor for the local area. He regularly attends career events and visits schools and colleges, igniting the students’ interest in engineering and nurturing a creative, problem solving mindset. Work experience placements and class visits are also regular important commitments.

Moving with the Times 

On October 22nd 2019, Bott opened a brand new, £1m extension to its vehicle conversion centre in Ashby-de-la- Zouch. The advanced facility has three new PDI (pre-delivery inspection) bays that are set up for work on electric vehicles, and an 25 additional conversion bays, adding up to an expanded total of 80 at the site. The new extension enables the company to manage larger contracts for electric vehicles and to segregate them from other work, allowing access only to appropriately qualified staff.

Manufacturing Change 

Technology has moved from an analogue environment to digital; energy resources are shifting from oil to green. Adapting facilities to deal with those changes has been both challenging and exciting. In recent years, the introduction of SAP as an MRP (material/manufacturing requirements planning) system has revolutionised the way Bott plans and manufactures parts.

The Future is Ours 

Bott’s is a genuine success story. It has come from a period where manufacturing was moving out of the UK to the point now, where it’s reshoring – coming back. The company has bucked the manufacturing trend in the UK and continues to thrive. It operates in a very fluid environment: markets have changed it has gone from national focus to European; and now Bott operates in a Global world.

WEBSITE: www.bottltd.co.uk

Bott UK Manufacturing Facility – Official Promo film 2019:

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Bott_Ltd

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1354823

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/bottltdUK/

CONTACT: Workplace Storage – 01288 357788, Vehicle Conversions:

01530 410600

UK TURNOVER 2018:

£48.55m

MARKETS:

Manufacturing, Automotive, Aerospace, Education, Public Sector, Construction BOTT GROUP 90th Year in 2020

LOCATIONS:

• Operates in 21 countries worldwide from Asia Pacific to Europe and UK
• Over 40 years industry experience in UK
• Over 2000 cabinets, cupboards & benches sold each month
• 8 – 10,000 vans converted pa
• Over 400 deliveries per week across Europe & UK
• Average employee length of service 7.5 years
• Developing young apprenticeships since 1976