SM UK, an auto-engineering and vehicle safety specialist, has opened a 13,000ft² vehicle conversion workshop in the West Midlands, a year after opening its first vehicle conversion centre in Leeds.

Located in Tamworth, close to the M42 motorway, the new centre will enable customers in the region to benefit from vehicle safety and CCTV system installations with rapid turnround times.

An initial workforceof 10 is set to grow quickly, with new jobs and an apprenticeship programme planned.

The facility will provide bespoke fit-out and conversion services for SM UK’s customers, ranging from blue-chip commercial-vehicle manufacturers and distributors to professional tradespeople with a van.

As well as fitting SM UK’s own award-winning HALO cyclist awareness system, the new workshop will be used to install other safety kit, as well as commercial-vehicle CCTV and internal racking systems that are designed to make on-board tool and equipment storage safer and more efficient.

SM UK’s managing director Steve MacDonald (www.smuk.co.uk) said: “Our Northern conversion centre in Leeds has proved a huge success in the year since it launched, enabling us to collect and work on customers’ vehicles in a professional and modern environment without taking up time and space at their own premises.

"We’re opening the new Midlands centre on the same model as our Leeds workshop.

"Initially it will be a great resource for our many existing Midlands-based customers, including Mercedes, Volvo and DAF, but we hope to attract new clients in the region as we grow.

"We will be more than ready for the new 2020-registration vehicles in March.”