Air force order helps Todd to soar

Todd Engineering has just secured a £250,000 order to replace the existing paint facility at the United States Airforce base in Spangdehelm, Germany.

Spangdahlem is home of the 52nd Fighter Wing, 4,8,000 military personal and the USAF's 480th Fighter Squadron, which flies F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft.

"This is the second prestigious order we have received from the USAF, the first one being completed for them at their facility at RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire, in 2012," said director Lee Todd.

Lee and his brother Christopher, who are originally from Lichfield, started Todd Engineering in Prospect Road, Burntwood, 30 years ago. The growing business moved manufacturing to Rugeley's Gregory Works, in Armitage Road, in 2008 but retained the premises in Burntwood which is now its distribution centre.

The company, which has grown to employ 35 people, is continuing to win new work both at home and abroad.

It has just completed spraybooths for Scotland's leading prestige vehicle repairer, Dentec, supplying the firm's new body shops in Glasgow and Aberdeen.

Lee said that a job to provide a booth at EuroMotors, in Bahrain, had also just been completed to serve the company's new Jaguar Land Rover dealership.

"We do not have a great deal of competition in the spraybooth market and it is proving comfortable to win work. We operate on a 10 to 12 week delivery for our order book," he explained.

He continued: "We have not seen any impact on orders from Brexit to make us concerned about a downturn in the economy."

Lee said that the latest contract was helping to secure the existing jobs at the business. "Our turnover for the first nine months of this year is at record level and we are on course to hit £4 million for 2016," he added.

Todd Engineering also recently completed a £150,000 refurbishment of its distribution centre in Burntwood which included a complete roof replacement.