A rapidly-expanding automotive company in Rugby didn’t have far to go to meet its demand for an export service after setting up a new factory site in Germany.
Automotive Insulations (www.autins.co.uk) manufacture noise and thermal insulation components for the automotive industry from their Somers Road head office. The company launched Rheinland Insulations in Hilden near Dusseldorf last September to produce materials for use in vehicle engine bays, interiors, underbodies and exteriors.
Automotive Insulations’ managing director Jim Griffin and purchasing manager Garry Faulkner needed a flexible and reliable way to transfer raw materials and finished products between its Rugby site and Hilden.
The answer proved to be along the A4071 in the shape of freight firm Exact Logistics, who are based on the Dunchurch Trading Estate, London Road, Rugby, and specialise in exporting to and from Germany.
Karen Shuter, sales and marketing director at Exact Logistics, said they had initially developed a business relationship with Jim through networking at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.
“Jim spoke at a Chamber networking event about their growth and wanting to use local businesses – so we immediately contacted him,” he said.
“We met Garry last summer and went to look round their factory in Rugby because we wanted to be thorough and understand their logistics needs.
“We looked at the freight they would be transporting, gave advice on how best to pack all the consignments as well as the most cost-effective way and gave them various options in a full proposal.
“Automotive Insulations thought they might need smaller vehicles to and from Germany when they couldn’t fill a full artic lorry. However, we advised that smaller vehicles are very expensive to send abroad and provided an option where they only need to pay for whatever space they use.
“Because we have daily departures and a lot of freight going to the Ruhr, we can combine it with our other freight and always deliver the next day.
“The first load left Rugby on a Friday and was waiting at the factory gates in Hilden on Monday morning to unload tools, raw materials and finished products ready for production to begin that week.”
Adam Shuter, managing director of Exact Logistics, added: “Our German knowledge and link up with German transport system CTL, which is owned by 120 individual transport firms who join forces to deliver and collect pallets across Germany and Europe, has meant we have built a partnership with Automotive Insulations and Rheinland Insulations rather than just being a supplier.
“We now have regular business with them because we have proved our flexibility and responsiveness and the fact we are only just over four miles away means we can give advice and assistance really easily and because we are local we believe we provide a much better service.”
Jim Griffin is delighted with their new transport partner saying: “It’s always good to be able to support local companies. We chose Exact Logistics because of their commitment to the local business community as well as the high service levels that they are able to offer. Our partnership has helped ease our entry into the German market, enabling us to work seamlessly between our two sites in Rugby and Germany.”
The Hilden site is Automotive Insulations’ second overseas site, following on from the opening of their Swedish site in 2012.
