Police, fire and rescue conversion specialist CM Specialist Vehicles is to be absorbed into the VCS brand. This integration enables closer technical collaboration between both manufacturing sites, engineering, operations and procurement, and commits the divisions to a common set of procedural excellence.
Restructure is a planned stage of parent company Woodall Nicholson’s long-term growth strategy for the blue light division in its ambition in being the number one blue light provider for the UK.
The UK’s market-leading ambulance conversion specialist, VCS, will now be able to apply its expertise to new areas of the emergency services sector as it absorbs CM Specialist Vehicles into its brand. The move allows VCS, which is acknowledged in the ambulance industry for its ultra-lightweight and technically advanced manufacturing and assembly techniques, to bring a new level of innovation to the police, fire, and rescue markets.
With both VCS and CM Specialist vehicles sitting within the Woodall Nicholson Group, this change allows both divisions to benefit from greater levels of collaboration and is part of a long-term growth strategy. VCS’s long-standing Managing Director, Mark Kerrigan, took control of CM Specialist Vehicles in March 2020 and has overseen a strategy to align both businesses to a common set of standards and objectives, which will continue until an ultra-efficient blue light division is created in line with the vision of both Mr Kerrigan and the Woodall Nicholson Board members.
Mark Kerrigan, Managing Director at VCS, said, “VCS and CM Specialist Vehicles share a number of important qualities, such as a focus on our highly-skilled workforce, quality and an in-depth understanding of working with electric powertrains. Having worked closely with the team at CM Specialist Vehicles for just over 12 months, I am confident and excited that closer collaboration between both divisions and the existing VCS team will lead to an incredibly technically capable blue light specialist vehicle producer with increased capacity to support our current customer base and new customers”.
VCS’s Sales Director, Paul Croom, will take immediate overall responsibility for customer relationships across the ambulance, police, fire, and rescue divisions with support from his internal sales engineering teams.
Paul said, “We’re very proud of the VCS brand and what it means to our customers in terms of quality, reliability and innovation. I relish the opportunity to introduce our brand to the police, fire and rescue sectors and build strong long-lasting relationships with the industry. VCS has always focused on getting things done and not just to talk about it, we have always and will continue to be the best at what we do.”
Based in Bolton in the North West of England, CM Specialist Vehicles has provided vehicle conversions to the police, fire and rescue services since 1998. With experience across the emergency service sector, CM Specialist Vehicles specialises in conversions of armed response vehicles, public service units and rapid response vehicles. It will become part of the VCS brand with immediate effect.
More than one in four ambulances on UK roads is produced by VCS at its facility in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Its unique Core Capture technology enables VCS to produce lightweight ambulance conversions, without impacting vehicle strength and upholding the company’s outstanding reputation for quality. In 2020, VCS launched Europe’s first fully electric frontline ambulance, underlining its dedication to innovation and advanced technology; the launch of the first UK electric ambulance is the start of much more innovation to come from VCS as one entity and organisation.
