Babcock In Pride

Babcock Partners with HM Coastguard to Fly the Flag at Pride 2018

Babcock International Group (Babcock) is transforming search and rescue vehicles for HM Coastguard into Pride patrol cars for the first time to mark the Brighton Pride event next weekend on 3-5 August.

HM Coastguard has been working in partnership with Babcock’s Vehicle Engineering (VE) business for over 20 years but was approached this year to help create a conversion of a different kind.

A Nissan Navara, which is used in search and rescue, was delivered to HM Coastguard earlier this month displaying the Pride in Babcock logo and colourful rainbow livery. Staff there took such a shine to the newly ‘converted’ car that another is on the way and there are plans to use it at parades nationwide post Brighton.

Babcock, which is one of Europe’s leading specialist vehicle converters, equips the Navara with blue light equipment such as radios and public warning systems. Richard Semmens, Managing Director of VE said they worked with the customer to develop the right livery and branding to give them a good show for the event.

“Our partnership spans more than 20 years and we were recently asked to convert a number of specialist all-terrain vehicles for the customer. These have been used in various search and rescue missions, including the recent national emergency services response to tackle the Moorland fires.

“This time it’s what’s on the outside of the vehicle that counts. We’ve worked with HM Coastguard to come up with a brand new design incorporating the Pride in Babcock logo which demonstrates our commitment to supporting Pride and also deliver something that we hope will really stand out at the parade next weekend.”

Chris Thomas, Deputy Director for Maritime Operations said: “We are extremely grateful to Babcock for creating our new Pride livery on the vehicles at no cost to HM Coastguard.  Our involvement at Pride says this is who we are – an inclusive workforce that actively supports and promotes diversity and an organisation that wants everyone to be proud and feel safe in saying who they are.”

For more information on all the Pride events visit https://www.brighton-pride.org/pride-festival/

NAPFM 2018

Vehicle Engineering celebrates forty-five years of NAPFM

2018 proves to be yet another successful year for Babcock at the 45th NAPFM Conference, enjoying record footfall on our stand. The Vehicle Engineering presence at NAPFM has been a continuous fixture in the exhibition and show calendar for many years and was once again situated on Stand 39 in Hall 1 of The Emergency Fleet Exhibition, displaying a sample of the blue light and emergency services vehicles converted at our state of the art facility in the industrial heart of the West Midlands.

Phil Peel, Business Development Manager at Babcock, praised the event, describing Babcock’s outlook; “We see the NAPFM Conference and The Emergency Fleet Exhibition as the cornerstone of our presence in the blue light industry, allowing us to continue to develop our long standing relationships with Fleet Managers across the country. This year’s exhibition has built on the success of previous year’s events, and it’s been great to welcome customers old and new onto the stand to see our products.”

Babcock exhibited vehicles from four UK forces and government agencies which have been converted to perform a variety of tasks, demonstrating the importance of how well designed emergency services vehicles can support a wide range of policing roles, while improving officer productivity and increasing public safety. Also on show was one of our armoured vehicles, which continue to prove popular with Counter Terror groups and Armed Response teams across a number of forces.

We would like to thank all those who joined us on the stand, and especially our customers for the kind loan of their vehicles for display;

  • BMW 530d Driving School Car – South Wales Police
  • Mitsubishi Shogun SWB Search and Rescue vehicle – HM Coastguard
  • Mercedes Sprinter MWB Protected Support Unit – Surrey & Sussex Police
  • BMW i3 Patrol Car – Metropolitan Police Service
  • Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Armoured Vehicle – Babcock Vehicle Engineering
Winter Hill

HM Coastguard helps to fight Winter Hill fires with Babcock converted ATVs

Two specialist all terrain HM Coastguard assets which had been recently converted for Personnel & Equipment Transport and Search & Rescue by Vehicle Engineering were made ready for immediate despatch last week. The request from HM Coastguard management came following an urgent requirement for off road capable vehicles to support firefighters from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service in containing the major moorland fires on Winter Hill near Manchester. As part of the firefighting efforts HM Coastguard Rescue Service personnel were on scene for a total of seven full days, including a duty Coastguard Incident Commander and for the most part, two specialist all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).

Martin Leslie, Deputy Head of Coastal Resources, thanked Babcock for their timely action in making the vehicles ready, and explained the importance of their role; “The ATVs were a positive asset to proactively fight the fire in sectors that were worst effected and unable to be reached by fire engine and timely on foot. The ATVs were specially equipped with a 150 litre water tank and a pressure washer to proactively mist any effected ground, often on fire.”

Babcock Vehicle Engineering has been proudly supplying vehicle conversions to HM Coastguard for more than twenty years, as well as providing through-life support, mid-life refurbishment and end-of-life decommissioning.

Thank you to HM Coastguard for their kind permission to reproduce this image.

Eurosatory 2018

Babcock unveils latest armoured vehicle at Eurosatory 2018

The Vehicle Engineering sales team choose Eurosatory 2018, one of Europe’s largest defence and security expositions, to launch their latest VPAM compliant vehicle; the Toyota Land Cruiser 150 Prado.

Marc Emery, Business Development Manager, described the benefits of adding another compliant tested armour solution to the Babcock range; “When we came to develop our latest armour solution Prado immediately stood out as the ideal candidate to complement our existing Land Cruiser 200, 78, 76 and Hilux models. Prado offers significant advantageous to our European customers from a cost, size, profile and supportability point of view, and our market-leading compliant solution mitigates risk to life in fragile environments.”

With several vehicles already sold and a further batch of vehicles in build for August completion Prado is proving to be a hit for FY18/19.

Babcock’s Vehicle Engineering business celebrates a successful NAPFM

Babcock’s Vehicle Engineering business showcased a comprehensive range of vehicle solutions at the 45th National Association of Police Fleet Managers’ Conference and Exhibition (NAPFM) in early June. Our footprint extended beyond our stand to the foyer and other exhibitor stands

Taking place in Telford, NAPFM is one of the largest emergency services fleet events in Europe, hosting visitors from sectors that included the Emergency Services, Government and Military.

We would like to thank those who visited our stand to meet our team and our customers who kindly gave permission for us to display their vehicles which included:

  • Kia Sportage: Search and Rescue Vehicle (HM Coastguard)
  • F1 Ford Ranger: Fire & Rescue Service, UK
  • Mercedes Sprinter (Medium base): Police Support Unit
  • Mercedes Sprinter (Long base): Protected Personnel Carrier (PPC)
  • Yamaha Viking
  • Toyota Land Cruiser
  • Argocat 8×8 Frontier

For more information on our range of specialist vehicles, please contact us on 01922 725560 or at [email protected]

Babcock exhibits at NAPFM

Babcock exhibits at NAPFM
Stand 22

Formerly MacNeillie, Babcock’s vehicle engineering business is looking forward to welcoming customers and suppliers to its stand at NAPFM, which takes place from June 6th to 7th at The International Centre in Telford. The combined National Association of Police Fleet Managers’ (NAPFM) Conference and the Emergency Fleet Exhibition Conference forms one of the largest emergency service fleet events in Europe.

We will be showcasing a range of specialist vehicle conversions as well as our sector-leading integration of technical and complex electronic and communication systems capabilities at the event.

As the UK’s leading specialist vehicle converter, we offer one of the largest and comprehensive choices within the emergency services sector.

Our solutions include both overt and covert customer based products, with options ranging from simple vehicle communications installation, high performing composites to complex command and control systems. In a changing world, you can be reassured that we’ll be here to deliver and support your requirements – when and where you need it.

Find us on Stand 22 in Hall 1. For more details on our capabilities go to our product pages on Fire, Police, Ambulance and Armoured.

Website visual

New vehicle engineering website

I am delighted to welcome you to our new website.

The rebranding of our business reflects that we are now a fully integrated part of Babcock, and follows a recent strategic realignment of the whole organisation.

Our new trading name is Babcock Vehicle Engineering Ltd and we sit within Babcock’s Land sector – one of the biggest UK players operating in the military and commercial market places.

This is an exciting change for the business and the customers we serve. We believe that integrating into the Babcock brand further strengthens our commitment to deliver ever more innovative and engineering-driven whole-life solutions to our customers.

I would like to give my personal reassurance that the name change does not mean a change in our focus or service. We remain committed to delivering a personal service second to none, and look forward to catching up with our customers and suppliers in the coming months.

Richard Semmens
Managing Director – Vehicle Engineering

New police vehicles to be converted by MacNeillie

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson visited MacNeillie to see the coming together of over 30 police forces and agencies in the purchase of more than 100 new state of the art public-order vans.

The Protected Personnel Carriers will be long-bodied, high roof Mercedes-Benz Sprinters which will be taken apart and rebuilt by MacNeillie to create a vehicle which is secure, protected and durable.

West Midlands Police is expected to buy around 60 vehicles under the framework agreement, which will provide economies of scale savings of over £800,000 for the wider purchasing group.
Richard Semmens, Managing Director of MacNeillie, said: “We’re proud that our business has now grown to encompass a strong international footprint – but our heritage is very much rooted in the West Midlands.

“We’re delighted to have been chosen to support this initiative alongside Mercedes-Benz, working in partnership with the Commissioner and one of the country’s leading police forces. We look forward to producing a finished vehicle that will serve our police forces and the public well.”

The Commissioner was given a special tour of the site to meet local workers and see the conversion process.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said: “Not only is this great value for money, because police forces and agencies from across the country have come together to drive down costs, but this contract is also good for the West Midlands economy as all of the vehicles will be converted in the region.

“I have made it a key priority of mine to ensure wherever possible that West Midlands Police’s budget is used to support the regional economy, as well as keep people safe and reduce crime. It is encouraging to see so many employees from the Midlands that will be involved in this significant project that will ultimately also benefit the people of the region and across the country.”
He added: “The new Mercedes-Benz vehicles are excellent addition to our fleet that will serve the force well over the coming years.”

The majority of MacNeillie employees, and those deployed on the vehicle conversions will be from the Midlands region and will cover a variety of roles ranging from electrician, coach builder, and trim worker right through to livery applicators – who will put the hallmark crest and logo on each van.

MacNeillie has been running an apprenticeship scheme for over 20 years. Apprentices joining the business enrol in a combination of practical work experience and also attend local colleges in areas such as Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley, where a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) is studied up to a Level 4.

Mercedes-Benz Vans Managing Director Steve Bridge said: “The Sprinter is already well established as the front-line public-order van of choice for many UK police forces. Like all Mercedes-Benz vans, it offers a winning combination of reliability and durability, performance, payload and safety, as well as highly competitive operating costs.

“We are delighted now to have had the opportunity to work with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, and with our long-term partner MacNeillie, on the development of the state-of-the-art public-order van which is the subject of this new, national framework agreement.”

Broad sector interest in MacNeillie composites

The Advanced Engineering 2016 Show proved another successful event for MacNeillie’s Composite Division.

MacNeillie’s team welcomed visitors from a broad range of industries who expressed interest in composites being provided for prototypes through to more mainstream automotive parts. In particular MacNeillie’s experience in different sectors, coupled with the company’s innovative approach to the material’s process, generated both promising meetings and opportunities in new areas.

Taking place at the beginning of November, the NEC event provides an opportunity for MacNeillie to promote its affordable lightweight materials used within specialist coach-built vehicle bodies, composite specialist bodies, sporting event vehicles and other specialist vehicles. Products can be provided as part of an integrated specialist conversion or as a standalone part.The event attracts over 700 exhibitors, and is the largest UK forum for advanced engineering professionals.

Martin Gouldthorpe, MacNeillie’s Technical Sales Manager (Composites) said: “We are delighted by the response we’ve received at the show – welcoming both new faces and those who know us for our vehicle conversion products in specific sectors.

“Our Composites Division has gone from strength to strength over the last ten years, and we remain committed to producing composites that are both affordable and high performing – innovating where we can to support our customers.”

MacNeillie has booked ahead for the 2017 Advanced Engineering Show next November, located on stand 0161 – by the main networking area in the Composites Engineering section.

MacNeillie showcases its composite solutions at the NEC

 

MacNeillie is exhibiting its affordable lightweight composite solutions at the Advanced Engineering 2016 Show, which takes place from 2nd to 3rd November at the NEC. With over 700 exhibitors, the event provides the largest UK forum for advanced engineering professionals, bringing together OEMs and tier 1 manufacturers with all levels of the engineering supply chain. Come and see us on Stand M161.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, MacNeillie’s Composite team will be sharing its advancements and expanding range of products with visitors at the show. They will see first-hand how MacNeillie has developed its custom-design and manufacturing processes to deliver complex shapes and structures which would otherwise be extremely challenging and expensive with traditional alternative materials. Further, the team works in close collaboration with customers to ensure a full understanding of the product’s use and environment. This is built into the solution to ensure both robustness and longevity.

MacNeillie offers composites for a broad product range from specialist coach-built vehicle bodies, such as horseboxes, through to composite specialist bodies used for riot protection or public order vehicles. In addition to supplying composites for traditional coachwork, we supply specialist composite parts for sporting event vehicles and other specialist vehicles. These include track day bumper protection system, air ducts, bonnets and spoiler kits. Composite products can be provided as part of a MacNeillie conversion or as standalone product.

Part of Babcock International Group, MacNeillie is the UK’s leading specialist vehicle converter with a history spanning over 100 years. MacNeillie understands the challenging environment in which our customers operate, customising our vehicles to meet their exacting requirements – taking into account the level of protection, operational usage and terrain and environment.

Please click the link here if you would like to book ahead a meeting with our Composites team at the Composites Show.