Avon Group

Mid-Sized Champions – Avon Group

Specialist engineering and manufacturing business, Avon Group, continues to grow, producing a wide range of products that impact on every aspect of life. Its strong foothold in diverse market sectors ensures it continues to gain market share and increase profitability.

Avon Group, established over 40 years ago as Avon Gasket Manufacturing in Bristol, has experienced steady, profitable growth since its humble beginnings as a gasket manufacturer.

Still headed by Mark Rushin, the son of the founder, the Group now consists of eight specialist engineering and manufacturing businesses, located around the UK. Its engineering and manufacturing capabilities extend across many market sectors providing bespoke solutions to a wide variety of industrial sealing, insulation and component manufacturing challenges.

There are few aspects of everyday life that, in one way or another, do not involve a product application provided by Avon Group.

From your shower in the morning to your aerosol deodorant, the cooker you use to prepare your breakfast and the car you drive to work, Avon Group products contribute to the safe and efficient functioning of all these.

The shower is likely to feature a moulded plastic cover and plastic components manufactured in Cheltenham, the aerosol is likely to include two rubber seals in its valve, manufactured in Wales, the cooker could contain insulation and specialist seals, manufactured in Bristol, to keep things cool, and the car will contain seals, acoustic insulation and moulded components, manufactured in the West Midlands, to make it quieter and lighter.

In a fast-paced manufacturing environment and a world of rapidly changing markets and technology, the Group is focussed on delivering technically innovative, high-quality solutions across diverse manufacturing sectors.

Avon Group’s quest for high standards is core to its ethos, in all areas of its business operations.

This is evidenced by its sustained commitment to high levels of investment in plant and equipment and ensures all its manufacturing operations are operating productively, profitably and efficiently. This also means maintaining high volume, high-quality output and minimising waste and environmental impacts at the same time. The recent development of unique automated technology for the manufacture of aerosol valve seals at its Wales operation, for example, puts the business in the top three companies in the world manufacturing these components. Similarly, investment in testing facilities and manufacturing capability at its automotive business in the West Midlands is putting the group at the forefront of development of parts for the new generation of electric vehicles.

The Group’s proactive approach to growth through strategic acquisition has also enabled it to remain at the top of its game in all the markets in which it operates.

The recent acquisition of two established businesses with a strong reputation in their respective sectors underlines this strategy; Edgewest Plastics (UK) Ltd and Scandura Ltd are both newcomers to the Group who are already making a positive contribution to increasing the Group’s reputation in the technical plastic moulding and specialist gasket manufacturing sectors.

The Group also recognises that its people are a vital component of its success too and places great emphasis on training and personal development. This is already generating huge benefits for customers as its teams working across the business and different disciplines are able to better understand customer problems and come-up with innovative, problem-solving solutions. This is becoming increasingly important as manufacturing businesses worldwide face the pressures of increased environmental and performance specifications at the same time as stringent cost pressures.

The challenges faced by British engineering and manufacturing businesses are being faced head-on by Avon Group with confidence and resilience. The increasing pace of change is also being seized upon as an opportunity rather than a threat to growth and this will undoubtedly see the Group continue to flourish. l

About Avon Group

Avon Group is a world-leading engineering and manufacturing business providing services to customers worldwide in many automotive and industrial manufacturing sectors.

Privately owned and with a group turnover exceeding £70m, the business comprises eight individual companies based around the UK and in the US, employing over 600 people.

Each company has extensive capabilities to design and manufacture products and components using a wide range of specialist materials that provide innovative solutions to a wide range of technical manufacturing challenges

The Group is a major supplier of sealing gaskets for aerosols and a major manufacturer of specialist components for the automotive industry. It also specialises in the specification, design and manufacture of a wide array of rubber, plastic moulded and foam components used for specialist sealing, ducting, insulation and protection for industry.

For more information visit www.avon-group.co.uk