£500,000 investment keeps things moving at Gateway Chassis
Hull based Gateway Chassis, a leading manufacturer of chassis for the holiday home and residential park home market supplying a number of well-known market leading companies, was acquired two years ago by the Wheel Solutions Group.
Since the acquisition the group has invested more than £½ million in its people, a new research and development hub and equipment (including an AMADA Laser and Press brake). This investment has paved the way for pioneering new product development, including the potential to open up new markets for the business, as well as the ability to implement leaner manufacturing processes.
Chris Ramsden, Head of Operations said: “The last twenty-four months have been a really exciting time for Gateway. We’ve introduced continuous improvement policies, a new product development focus, investment in the right management team to lead the business into the next stage of its development, implemented SAP HANA software, and we’re further developing our apprenticeship scheme with HETA to provide exciting opportunities for the workforce of the future.”
The family-owned and run business has a strong ethos of keeping things moving. Whether that’s vehicles, the businesses within the group, or its customers it works with, and invests in.
As members of the NCC, the company is working with the organisation on the Code of Practice 501 guidelines, which establish a benchmark for industry standards. Managing Director Steve Budding said: “We see ourselves as a vital link in the supply chain, which is why it is so important to us to demonstrate best practice in everything we do.”
He went on to explain what putting customers at the heart of the operation means to the business: “We try to stay one step ahead, which allows us to foresee our customers’ challenges. Then we challenge ourselves to come up with the right solution for them.
It is important for us to create, establish & maintain relationships so we not only take care of and satisfy the needs of today, but we are also working on the needs of tomorrow”
Recent solutions have included the introduction of lean manufacturing techniques and new technologies, which drive production efficiencies, resulting in a quicker turnaround and the ability for customers to keep on moving.