IBC Vehicles turning the corner

Manufacturing News, Source : TheManufacturer.com
Published : 20 Nov 2002 10:55

IBC Vehicles, the only vehicle manufacturer left in Luton, is reported to be heading for its first operating profit this year, after 15 years of continuous losses.

About time, some might say, but what is remarkable is that the achievement will not be the result of a huge investment in automation or the introduction of modern production techniques, but through an intense focus on cost reduction, combined with a make do and mend approach to problems.

The company manufactures 100,000 vehicles a year (Frontera four-wheel drives and Vivaro and Trafic vans), a fraction of what used to be produced by the Vauxhall Motors plant next door, which is now up for sale.

A crisis is often a catalyst for a solution, as it pulls teams together in an effort to survive. If that team spirit could now be harnessed with some forward thinking, though, what might IBC achieve next?

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