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Carwood’s story begins in the early 1960s with an 18-year-old Gary Carter, founder and now chairman of our company. Passionate about cars from an early age and having learnt his trade as an apprentice mechanic, Gary joined the sales team of a local battery distributor. It was here that the sparks of an idea were formed. He wanted to offer his customers more. To do better. And he believed he could.
So, in 1966, now 21, he set about turning that idea into reality. And together with a former colleague, Carwood was born. Indeed, it was the combination of their surnames – ‘car’, the start of one, and ‘wood’, the end of the other – that gave rise to the Carwood brand.
Based on the outskirts of Coventry, its vision was simple; to offer its customers the best. The best product. The best services. The best of everything. All stemming from that one goal – to do better for its customers. Those values are still firmly rooted in everything we do today.
And so began Carwood’s journey. Starting out as a battery distributor, the company quickly identified a gap in the market for the remanufacture of rotating electrics – long before many others did. Although nothing like it is today, remanufacturing quickly became core to its business. So in 1976, with a new proposition – offering high quality, yet cost-effective parts with multiple lifecycles – and a desire to expand its portfolio, Carwood entered the diesel fuel injection business, a natural fit given its similarities with the auto electrical market.
Another pivotal moment came in 1987, when Carwood bought R J Taberer and Coventry Battery and Ignition, the latter rivals to then industry leader Lucas. It now had the means to compete with a company long known for its exceptional service. Like reman, creating value for its customers became firmly entrenched in its way of doing things.
More important investment and acquisitions followed over the years. And with that came new locations, products, people and know-how. Birmingham, now a world leading fuel systems specialist, including both petrol and diesel. Nottingham, home to our OEM-approved remanufactured turbochargers. Yeovil, offering the rewind of all types of electric motor, including for the latest generation electric vehicles. And with the purchase of Brise Motorsport, a range of starters and alternators for competition and specialist road cars. Telford, our newest site, remanufacturing engine, electrical and specialist components. And last but no means least, Coventry, which has recently undergone a major upgrade to accommodate our growing engine, electronic equipment and bus door businesses, as well as new ones, such as Unmanned Ground Vehicles.
During this time, we changed ownership, when in 2004, Kevin Mulholland bought the business from long-time owner and founder, Gary Carter. Having grown with the business – starting out as an apprentice in 1973, before becoming workshop supervisor, service director, technical director and now managing director – Carwood’s way of doing things, and the importance it placed on listening to its customers, was very much part and parcel of Kevin’s way too. Despite the change, it was business as usual for Carwood. We also grew a little further afield. Adding facilities in Sennelager, Germany and Tapa, Estonia to our already established presence in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai.
So, more than half a century later, what started out as a team of two, is now a global organisation, still headquartered in our hometown, but with more than 300 employees – otherwise known as the Carwood family – based in 15 locations around the world, and an ever-growing portfolio of environmentally friendly, cost-conscious solutions.
What hasn’t changed, are those very same values that made Carwood, Carwood. Whether it’s new or reman, or for the automotive, off-highway, motorsport or defence industries, we’re still just as committed to providing high-quality, sustainable and cost-effective products, for today’s…and tomorrow’s technologies. We might be fifty plus years old, but we like to think that means Carwood’s story has only just begun.
