Peterborough racing car firm aims to bridge the skills gap

Radical Sportscars, based in Westwood's Ivatt Way Business Park, are one of the largest producers of racing and track cars in the world. They have sold more than 2,000 cars globally in the past two decades – with 93 per cent of their products exported outside the UK.

As the business approached its 25th anniversary, 2021 saw a huge increase in demand for their cars, thanks to their unique appeal which CEO Joe Anwyll describes as “products that are not dull, they are really, really sexy”.

As a result, Radical Sportscars produced more than double the number of vehicles than they had in 2020 but, though the business growth was welcome, the firm faced challenges to keep up with momentum and fulfil the new demand.

With orders outstripping supply, the company’s efforts to hire 25 new recruits highlighted the skills shortage within the engineering and manufacturing industry.

They turned to the help of Growth Works, a transformational business growth service which helps businesses in the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority region to think bigger, scale faster and be prepared for the inevitable challenges.

Growth Works helped to lay the foundations for attracting the right team then developing them by creating an education programme led by Radical’s experienced management team.

As Joe explains: “Working with the training organisation to build a partnership with local colleges, schools, apprenticeships, to attract the right team… this is a way of coaching and mentoring them into the next phase of Radical’s development.”

The company is now planning to build a purpose-built facility with the support of partners and local organisations to become a flagship for developing talent within Peterborough.

The firm also tapped in to help from one of Growth Works' Inward Investment international advisers on how to access the all-important US market, and she was able to make introductions to key decision-makers in large corporations.

With funding and support from Growth Works, Radical can now tackle their immediate staff issues then look to continue future growth.

Chief financial officer Hitesh Katechia says the one-to-one advice he received had a “very targeted approach” and that “it’s refreshing that someone has tried to understand what we are and then tried to tailor any help to that, not what they think we should be”. Getting external business advice from someone who “understands the growing pains of growing” was welcomed.

Could your business benefit from expert support and funding to help you unlock further growth? Check your eligibility and tell us about your business to join our programme at https://www.growthworkscoaching.uk/get-started/

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