Taxi Driver Online

Crewe taxi manufacturing firm on track for success after devastating fire

A CREWE firm which manufactures wheelchair accessible vehicles is well on the road to recovery just over a year after an arson attack almost put it out of business.

Family-run firm Voyager MPV Ltd is currently based on the Springvale Industrial Estate in Sandbach after it was forced out of its premises in Groby Road, Crewe, in December, 2009 by a devastating fire.

The blaze wiped out 10 sold vehicles along with a stock of other cars, the firm’s entire parts department, vehicle moulds and panels. The company specialises in modifying taxis and mini-vans to ensure they meet disability access laws with equipment such as in-built ramps.

The team is now hoping to put a painstaking and turbulent 2010 behind them by moving back to Crewe in the spring. Project manager Oliver Lee says the firm’s survival can be attributed to the determination and hard work of its 20 staff and the understanding of customers who bared with them through the fire’s aftermath.

He said: “It happened just before Christmas and we were forced to close until March. “It was a huge blow to the firm as business was going well and then we were suddenly left with a backlog of orders to fulfil and no premises. “As far as we are concerned the arson investigation is still ongoing as the culprit has not been found. It would be nice to have closure but we can only look to the future.”

Mr Lee says orders are now back on track and that last week the nationwide firm delivered vehicles to drivers in Scotland, Portsmouth and Wigan. He said: “Things are back on track now but it’s going to be very hectic finally moving back to Crewe into our new premises.

“We have been in Sandbach temporarily for almost 12 months and it is not ideal but our great team has made it work. “We hoping to be back up to full capacity by the summer and to go from there. It should be very exciting year.”

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