Our Challenge
At one point, Jenks & Cattell Engineering had most of our eggs in just a few baskets: Rover Group being one of them. Rover Group faced liquidation in 2005; amid the turbulence of the 2008–2009 financial crisis. For a business so closely tied with a major OEM, the risk could have been devastating.
Support and Strategic Change
Fortunately, our owners, Newship Group, provided the financial stability and strategic guidance we needed. As a successful, family-owned group operating across sectors including metalwork, glass, construction, mobility, and packaging, Newship understood the value of spreading risk. With a group turnover exceeding £200 million, Newship gave us the opportunity to diversify our customer base and invest in new manufacturing techniques.
One pivotal investment was laser cutting technology, enabling us to manufacture prototypes and low-to-medium volume production alongside the high-volume output of our mechanical presses.
Today, our strategy ensures that no more than 25% of our business relies on a single industry, reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience.
A Versatile Manufacturing Partner
This approach transformed Jenks & Cattell Engineering into a versatile, resilient partner. We now offer one of the most diverse ranges of machinery under one roof in our industry, supplying globally leading organisations with:
Our capabilities are trusted by many leading OEMs in multiple sectors including automotive, defence, renewable energy, construction, alternate transport, and medical industries, supporting everything from prototype development to serial production.
How We Work with Our Partners
Our team works closely with partners from initial quotation through to delivery, ensuring collaboration, innovation, and efficiency. We are proactive in generating ideas for VAVE (Value Analysis/Value Engineering), applying lean manufacturing methods, and maintaining excellent delivery performance.
A project with Jenks & Cattell Engineering looks like this:
- Development of your parts with recommended cost-saving ideas
- Assessment of material and process route options
- Collaboration between your engineers and ours to achieve specification
- Dedicated support through account managers, engineers, quality personnel, and a logistics planner
Resilience in Action
Recent events in the automotive sector underline the strength of our approach. While many competitors were disrupted for weeks due to JLR’s cyber-attack, Jenks & Cattell Engineering remained strong. Our diversified business model, proactive risk management, and robust security ensured continuity during this period of uncertainty.
Looking Ahead
Our mission continues: to diversify, innovate, and remain profitable, delivering sustainable growth through collaboration, expertise, and engineering excellence. The lessons learned from our dependence on Rover Group shaped a business capable of thriving in uncertainty – resilient, adaptable, and prepared for whatever comes next.
