Wednesbury-based Car Parts Industries (CPI), which re-manufactures products such as brake callipers, steering racks and steering pumps for a wide range of vehicles, has awarded Briggs Equipment a £250,000 contract to supply it with materials-handling equipment.

Cannock-based Briggs is also providing a maintenance and service package.

Over the last two years, CPI has experienced a strong increase in demand for its products. It responded by creating a centre of excellence for steering units and brake callipers at its Wednesbury base and setting up an R&D centre in Manchester. As a result, its workforces has grown from 75 in 2010 to 232.

Purchasing manager Darren Causer said: “The cornerstone of our materials-handling strategy was to invest in top-quality machinery that would give us the capacity for further development, as well as the ability to cover our current needs.

"To achieve this, it was important to partner with a well-established supplier who understands what’s important to us as a business. Briggs was the only real choice, providing a solution that will deliver the product reliability and quality of service that we require.”

Briggs Equipment’s Jamie Palmer said: “CPI controls the entire re-manufacturing process from parts and production to sales and service, so it has to be able to rely on its materials-handling fleet.

“Having worked closely with the purchasing team for the past 18 months, we are delighted to have structured a package that gives CPI the flexibility to meet both existing and future demand.”