Established
in 1988, Derek Jones Bodywork Ltd aim to provide a one
stop shop for all your vehicle bodybuilding requirements.
We can cater for all your needs in-house, from initial design concept
to final delivery and beyond.
Our onsite graphics and signwriting department can put the finishing
touches to your vehicle to meet your exact requirements.
Bodies can be individually tailored to suit any type, size and make of
chassis, from light vans to drawbar trailers and demountable systems.
Management Buyout 2006
Derek Jones
Bodywork has been the subject of a management buy out,
having been purchased by long serving MD Kurt Hobbs
and his wife Sue.
Former owner Derek Jones retains 20% share in the business,
but intends to sell this in a few years when he fully
retires.
Originally the Kettering based bodybuilder specialised
in Scania trucks, but these days the 350 bodies it builds
each year are for a variety of truck and van makes.
About half of the vehicles that leave its Islip workshop
are curtainsiders, with the next most popular being
GRP boxes and dropsides. However Kurt is eager to point
out that no job is too big or too small.
Customers include Tesco, Canute Haulage, NYK Logistics,
and last year it added the Royal Mail to the list, having
built bodies for its first 25 Avia trucks.
Although the new owners intend to expand the bodybuilding
side of the business and are hoping to purchase a 2.5
acre site next door, they are also looking to develop
other parts of the business.
Sue Hobbs explains that currently 80% of the companys
£4m turnover is from new build, but this is about
to change. She says: "We don't want all our eggs
in one basket.
Derek Jones Bodywork already operates a fleet of vans
that can carry out essential bodywork and tail lift
maintenance at customer's premises. And Kurt and Sue
plan to expand this.
The business plan gets the approval of Derek, who says:
After sales is how I built up DJ Commercials. It's not
just about selling a truck or selling a body, it's all
about after sales.
Northamptonshire is awash with distribution companies,
and it seems like the rest of the country is covered
in warehousing. That's why it makes sense to get into
the repair side of the business.
Another string to its bow is it signwriting business
with a 40ft dedicated bay.
March
2007 - Partnership with A.E Smith - Tekimex Glass Transport
Systems
We are pleased
to announce our partnership with A.E Smith & Son
of Kettering, to provide a one stop shop for the new
Tekimex Glass Transport Systems. More details here |
