Longstanding Henley business ready for growth
"The support from the Growth Hub and its partners has been critical in helping us prepare the business for this next step."
A long-established family-run engineering company in Warwickshire is preparing for a major new phase of growth after receiving comprehensive assistance from a leading business support organisation in the region.
Henley Engineers, founded in 1942 and based in Edge Lane, Henley-in-Arden, worked closely with Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub to modernise its operations, upgrade its digital infrastructure and identify new market opportunities including a strategic move into the military supply chain.
The business, which manufactures and fabricates detailed components for the commercial vehicle sector, employs 30 staff across its Henley-in-Arden site and a second facility in Redditch for larger components. Henley Engineers currently has an annual turnover of £2.5 million, and is now positioning itself for diversification and scaling up.
Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub account manager Nina Bale has provided support to Senior Business Development Manager Mike Beirns to access guidance, specialist introductions and grant opportunities to accelerate their plans.
This includes a successful application to Made Smarter West Midlands, securing a £2,000 grant towards a £70,000 investment in a new ERP and CRM system designed to bring procurement, sales, marketing and operations onto one platform. The system has already transformed internal processes by reducing the time taken from raising a PO to starting work on the shop floor from three days to just 20 minutes.
Work with the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) has further supported upgrades to IT infrastructure and digital manufacturing processes following an expert review of the company’s equipment and workflow.
Nina said: “Nick, Mike and the team at Henley Engineers are a great example of how a business can utilise Growth Hub support at every stage of their journey. Our work is not just about grants, it’s about networking, introductions and connecting businesses to the right partners at exactly the right time. Henley Engineers has embraced this fully, and their progress reflects the power of collaborative regional support.”
The company is also taking major steps towards automation, including investing in its first robotic welding arm following specialist training at Cyber-Weld in Southam and is exploring the deployment of a cobot capable of learning repeat welding tasks. Barcoding is being implemented across the full production process to support further efficiency.
Managing Director Nick Warmington, who joined Henley Engineers as a 16-year-old engineering apprentice before becoming the fourth generation to lead the company, said: “We’re pitching the business to the military supply chain and meeting the standards needed to supply into that sector. The support from the Growth Hub and its partners has been critical in helping us prepare the business for this next step.
“Digitising our processes, investing in automation and improving workflow has completely changed the culture of the business. We’re more efficient, more productive and better positioned for growth.”
Henley Engineers is also strengthening its future workforce pipeline. With current apprentices nearing completion, the firm plans to recruit two new fabrication welding apprentices next September, and is meeting with Stratford College and Coventry College. The business is finalising a new website, installing solar panels to improve its carbon footprint and continuing to refine its factory layout and workflow with support from regional partners.
Nick added: “This has traditionally been a functional fabrication business. With the help of the Growth Hub, we’re now thinking strategically about how every investment improves flow, efficiency and long-term capability. 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting year for us.”
* Please find out what other support is available to your business by calling Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747 or visiting https://www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk