Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare shows how its investment in UK-made community daily living aids is paying off
Mobility equipment manufacturer Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare has announced that it has implemented a number of measures to boost the manufacturing of community daily living aids at its Leicester manufacturing site.
The supplier has stated that it wants to deliver benefits for its customers and those who use its products, while helping the environment, and supporting employment in the UK.
Welland Medical, which manufactures aids for daily living from its production facility in Leicestershire, was acquired by the Drive group in 2011. Now employing over 90 people, the business delivers over 350,000 individual products to customers across the UK on a yearly basis.
The Leicestershire production facility provides “true UK manufacturing” according to Drive; taking raw steel tube and other components and converting these into a wide range of finished products designed to support diverse customer care needs.
As part of an effort to improve competitiveness and lead times, especially in an unpredictable market at the moment, Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare has set about making “significant improvements and investment” at the production facility.
These have included the recruitment of a highly experienced manufacturing director and the restructuring of its production department, implementing teams and team leaders as well as adding additional shifts.
A re-lay out of the production facility has been carried out, with the installation of two new bending machines, while the site’s curing ovens have been extended to improve the output of its paint processes.
The warehouse has also been improved, states Drive, with increased on-site component stock for production, and supplier agreements in place to hold working stock of steel and components for faster delivery.
Ensuring its products are robust and high quality are essential in maintaining the good condition of its products to enable recycling and to gain the “highest return” on investment for the products purchased, according to Drive.
Grant Abrahams, Commercial Director for Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare comments: “Our aids for daily living are designed and manufactured by our experts in Leicestershire and where possible we source materials and components from local suppliers.
“We are proud to manufacture in the UK, supporting the local economy; but also, being able to provide short lead times from order through to supply. Our supply chain teams are focused on buying local, high-quality steel; enhanced quality steel further supports increased recycling and provides improved return on investment.
“In addition to the product benefits which our customers receive, buying British materials feeds directly into the UK economy supporting funding for areas such as the NHS and social care.”
The supplier has invested in a higher cost, more resilient coating called Duradip, which it says is standard on the frames it manufactures and which protects against chips, scratches and scuffs which can easily lead to unsightly marks and premature rusting.
With a focus on raw materials and parts being sourced in the UK, the manufacturing process at Leicestershire is helping to reduce transport miles significantly compared to goods which are imported in from countries such as China.
Drive DeVilBiss has announced that it plans to introduce a five-year warranty on the frames of all of its products manufactured at the facility in May 2022.
