V isitors to last year's CV Show could be forgiven for
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missing ABRO, the former Army Base Repair Organisation in Hall 5—this, after all, is a huge show where time flies by quickly. Although it was a large enough stand, it couldn't possibly convey the size of this massive establishment, one that provides the British Army with an unparalleled repair and maintenance service. Traditionally, the Army always seemed to have an open chequebook and vehicle maintenance meant doing everything, whether it needed it or not. But not any more,
Whether a military vehicle needs a service, a quick fix on the brakes, accident repairs or a full overhaul, every item of work has to be specified, and justified.
ABRO isn't hampered by tradition, and by next April it will have assumed Trading Fund status as an executive agency of the DLO. So instead of being funded solely by the state, it will become self-accounting and encouraged to earn money from outside work.
The group's highly skilled 2,500-strong civilian workforce is strategically located around the UK, and maintains, repairs and re-manufactures a diverse array of military equipment, especially transport. It's turnover exceeds ,E200m. There's a headquarters in Andover and seven major workshop sites at Bovington, Catterick, Colchester, Donnington, Bicester, Stirling and Warminster.
"Over the years these workshops have built up a vast technical databank and an enormous amount of repair experience on a wide range of chassis," reckons ABRO's head of marketing, Nigel Martin. "We're equipped to handle any maintenance situation. The locations are ideal, in areas traditionally neglected by industry, but we want to work with private service groups, not against them."
One of the Warminster workshop's perceived strengths is its vast store of traditional skills, particularly in the ancillary trades, such as textile workers, carpenters and sheet metal specialists.
Planning & technical support manager at Warminster is Kevin Bothwell, who has been with the MoD since 1977. He gave CM a tour and an insight into Warminster's functions and how new income will be generated.
Rothwell foresees many opportunities among local authorities, airports, prisons and large security firms.
Examples of current civilian contracts include a council gritter rebuild programme and maintenance of mobile breast screening clinics for the Scottish Health Authority, both handled by ABRO's Sterling workshop.
Many other UK-wide contracts are in the offing and he's extremely optimistic about their outcome. Potential clients also include former utility combines, gas and oil suppliers and waste handling groups.
Police authorities with armoured vehicles are also showing an interest. Several, who recently sent Land Rovers Out to civilian repairers for extensive body repairs, were dismayed to find the job had been fragmented and spread around various subcontractors, resulting in long delays.
With ABRO's vast experience of repairing batches of vehicles for Bosnia, the Gulf and NI at the Warminster workshop, Rothwell says: "Up-armouring is a very specialised area but we could have handled all of that work and in far less time too."
but also weapons and control systems, radio, infra-red or telecommunications, but Warminster is all about transport It can overhaul anything from motorcycles to tank transporters, including the all-terrain Hagglund Snocats which are deployed in Norway and Canada.
Most of ABRO's current workload has been fought for through competitive tendering, an example being the DROPS contract which involves the overhaul of 151 vehicles a year for the next five years. This deal, which was won from stiff civilian competition, should encourage ABRO to bid for similar rebuild work from large firms with national hookloader fleets. Warminster's three major departments—tracked armour, soft-skinned vehicles and a general engineering section—are tasked from two main sources: • 'Land' loading is where, in commercial terms, the customer (at present the local military) has pre-booked vehicles in for servicing or specific repairs. It could equally include accident recovery and repairs, breakdown at the roadside or exercise damage.
• 'Programmed' loading is where single vehicles or batches or equipment come in for overhauls.
While the armoured section handles vehicles like Saxon APCs and Chieftain bridge layers, the lighter vehicle shop takes vehicles such as Land Flovers, Bedfords, Dafs, Fodens, Scammells plus a range of other specialist equipment.
Current programmes include the overhaul of Warrior APC power packs. They come from armoured units who are using the restrictions imposed by the foot and mouth crisis to have engines and gearboxes serviced or exchanged.