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At a time when most companies are looking to downscale and delay investments, one British company has had the need and the capability to do the opposite. Taking a courageous step, Grayson Thermal Systems moved into a new site in September 2009, when the recession really began to bite. B&CB visited the new factory and head offices in Tyseley, Birmingham, to see how the company has expanded and what investments have been made since moving in.

State of the art premises:
Grayson did not have far to move to its new aluminium production site, having relocated from a plant on the same road. Just opposite the new building is its existing copper brass production facility. The heating, cooling, and air conditioning specialist’s move into new premises represents an investment of £4m. Part of that spending involved buying a new furnace that boosts its aluminium production by 400% compared to its previous facility. Financial support for this venture came from regional development agency, Advantage West Midlands (AWM) who provided £249,000.

The 42,440 square foot plant is allowing the company to braze its range of aluminium heavy duty radiators and charge air and oil coolers for improved durability and high levels of thermal performance. New laser cutting and header punch press machines have been installed to provide precision engineering as well as being able to increase the scope of products on offer. According to the company, investing in this equipment has brought the company in line with the biggest and most respected radiator manufacturers in Europe.

Another investment it has made to further improve quality in the new factory is the introduction of a research and development unit. In this department, the company tries to ‘break’ its units by operating them under extreme conditions and simulating the heaviest of use. The idea is to ensure they are as durable as possible. A thermal cycle rig worth £40,000 was installed in this part of the building, which is used to test the company’s heat exchangers at temperatures between -100C and 90C. The machine operates at 12 cycles per hour, 24 hours a day.

Putting its designs through such rigorous examination allows the company to better understand the performance of the materials it works with and make changes to enhance durability. Whilst giving me a tour of the factory, Group Marketing Executive, Aishah Minister, told me that because Grayson is a medium sized manufacturer of this technology, it has a lot more time to ensure higher quality than its larger competitors. It is not a case of churning out as much product as possible.

Despite the large investment in new machinery, the building still has room to accommodate growth. It was previously inhabited by GEA Ecoflex UK Ltd. Who still use the downstairs offices. With fortuitous timing, the previous owners of the site made it available just as Grayson were looking for a new location. Aishah said it was an ‘ideal’ choice for the Directors.

High profile visitors have recently been to Grayson’s new plant, including the new Governor of the State of Georgia, USA, Nathan Deal. The trip was made as part of his mission to foster investment and create jobs in Georgia. The manufacturer has strong links with the state, having incorporated its North American business, Grayson Corp, in the area in 2008. As part of the company’s future plans, it plans to set up a manufacturing facility in the region. This would be very welcome as the area has recently suffered from several large automotive manufacturers closing.

More innovation:
Moving into the new site has helped Grayson to increase the rate of new product introductions. It has created an electric cooling pack and a new thermal resistor, as well as a heater coil, which have all gone into serial production throughout the course of this year.

Over the last five years, Grayson has been developing its in-house design team, who are tasked with designing products to OEM’s specifications. Its bespoke service has attracted several European vehicle manufacturers, a notable one being Irizar, who fit a Grayson cooling pack on the recently launched i6 coach.

Emphasis is always placed on innovation when it comes to designing new units. One example of this is its Cassette 2 Plus engine cooling system which was released before the company moved into the new headquarters. For use on city buses, the unit is intended to make maintenance faster and to reduce airside clogging from road dirt. The company claims the radiator can be removed from the vehicle in 20 minutes without the need for lifting or jacking the bus. It can be manufactured from fully brazed aluminium or copper brass.

It is not just its own products Grayson offers, as many may know the company is an official supplier of the Thermo King bus and coach range. This covers everything from driver-only to full vehicle climate control systems, from demisters to full heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units, providing full parts and service support.

Expanded service:
Although the new building in Birmingham is its headquarters, Grayson has a considerable presence outside the Midland with sites in Oldham, Basingstoke and Bathgate, and distribution depots across the UK. Stock is kept at all these sites to facilitate turnaround time. Usually, from an initial order, it can have products delivered within a minimum of 48 hours. If it’s an emergency, then next day delivery can be arranged.

Grayson’s relationship with its customers does not end with the sale of an item. Once the products have been delivered, the company can be called on to use its technicians to fit them. It has service centres across the country dealing with air conditioning maintenance. It has a service centre located conveniently by Birmingham International airport that deals with HVAC servicing and maintenance as well as a team of service technicians located in London. One of its most popular offerings is its ‘Drop and Clean’ service. This is a year long contract under which technicians visit depots to look after an operators cooling system units.

Grayson’s technicians meet the new F-Gas Regulations for handling and purchasing air conditioning systems’ fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-Gases). The legislation was brought out last July and applies to installation and service contractors, as well as to the end users of the units.

Grayson has recently initiated a drive to expand its service offerings, employing new engineers in both its Birmingham and London centres. It has also rolled out 15 new service vans, doubling the size of its fleet. As well as servicing air conditioning units, it also carries out engine cooling system maintenance, heating system diagnostics, and the servicing and repair of Firetrace fire suppression units.

An element of the Grayson customer experience welcomed by operators is the provision of free training, showing the customer how to use and maintain their cooling and heating systems. This is all done free of charge. Aishah said, “It’s the customer service element that sets us apart. Our engineers are always in touch, we are always on the end of the phone.”

Experience is another factor Aishah claims sets Grayson apart from similar companies. She said, “Grayson was formed in 1978 and we have people that have been here for a long time, some since the beginning. We have generations of experience so we know how engine cooling and air conditioning works.”

Hungry for growth:
As moving into the new factory and head offices suggests, Grayson does not rest on its laurels or rely on its years of experience. Instead, it aims to keep changing to better suit the market and be innovative, constantly evaluating what it does and how things can be improved. One of the many ways it aims to do this is by improving its website. With a growing number of operators already browsing the site, Aishah says now would be a good time to include online credit card payments for its products. This is an avenue it intends to explore in the future.

Another way it aims to grow is by expanding into other markets. Over the past two years it has invested in the skills and equipment to do this. Bus and coach applications are what Grayson specialises in, as it was in this sector that the company started out and it remains its biggest and most important market. However, it has recently been promoting itself to the defence sector as well.

Hungry for further growth, it has maintained the fullest trade show schedule in its history. As well as promoting itself to other sectors, it is striving to expand into overseas markets. It currently exports around £2m of its annual production to regions including New Zealand and North America, in addition to which a lot of units go to customers in southern and eastern Europe. The business would like to grow in all of these regions.

With the new factory and head offices providing space and capability for the further growth it plans, Grayson is gearing up for the future positive in the belief that it offers the right products, and the service to go with them, that existing and new customers are looking for.

BY CHRIS PEAT – Bus and Coach Buyer

A great article published about Grayson from our friends and Bus and Coach Buyer magazine.

www.grayonts.com

Collect the puzzle piece, decipher the code, and claim your reward.
*Terms and Conditions apply

Collect the puzzle piece, decipher the code, and claim your reward.
*Terms and Conditions apply.

Collect the puzzle piece, decipher the code, and claim your reward.
*Terms and Conditions apply

Collect the puzzle piece, decipher the code, and claim your reward.
*Terms and Conditions apply

The Grayson sales channel serves both the bus and coach, and the commercial vehicle sectors, and became fully operational in autumn 2011.

Grayson’s managing director Stuart Hateley says that evidence from customers using the site for the first time also shows satisfaction with product quality and service.

He said: “Everyone needs a keen price but operators can’t afford for quality to suffer. Buying unbranded parts sometimes worries vehicle operators, especially when they are unfamiliar with the company they are buying from. Grayson manufactures OE parts for a number of vehicle manufacturers, both in the UK and overseas, so our quality standards are consistent with those that customers look for from branded parts.”

Grayson is boosting the savings available from its sites with a series of special promotions in the lead-up to Christmas.

For more information visit the website www.graysonts.com or go direct to www.cooling4trucks.com