Member Article

Gym equipment company celebrates new premises after winning prestigious contracts

One of the UK’s leading commercial gym equipment design and manufacturing companies based in Nuneaton is celebrating winning a major military contract and a prestigious new customer.

Indigo Fitness, which was founded in 1996, moved to its current home at the Whitacre Road Industrial Estate after outgrowing its previous base in Hinckley following advice and support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub.

The 38-strong company specialises in providing strength and conditioning equipment and creating training spaces for top-level sports teams, universities, schools, independent and boutique gyms as well as national and multi-site operators.

Four years ago, Indigo Fitness first secured a key contract with the Ministry of Defence to supply fitness equipment to all branches of the UK military across the UK and overseas – from the British Army to the Special forces and onboard Royal Navy ships.

Director Phil Littlewood and Managing Director Rob Coleman are now delighted to have renewed their contract with the Ministry of Defence for a further four years until 2026 as well as becoming a key supplier to the luxury health club brand Third Space.

Phil said: “Securing the contract with the Ministry of Defence for another four years is a massive boost to everyone associated with the company because we are one of only four companies enabled to do that and the only British manufacturer.

“We are also now supplying bespoke fitness equipment made to measure for the Third Space Group boutique gyms in London.

“We pride ourselves on focusing on product development and designing some of the best training spaces in the UK and internationally.

“For nearly three decades we have pushed the boundaries of product and space design by using our experience and the latest technologies to provide the best possible equipment to our customers which is produced at our in-house manufacturing plant.”

Plans are being prepared to extend its premises to meet the ever-growing demand for its services by applying for planning permission to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.

Phil added: “We are going to make a new planning application for a building between 10,000 and 15,000 sq ft for warehousing and we are currently developing the design.

“This is where the Growth Hub makes such a difference to a business such as ours because they have excellent knowledge of how to deal with local authorities.

“We first became aware of the Growth Hub in 2017. We were struggling because we were working from two premises in Hinckley and renting another and we needed to seek a new home.

“When we found this freehold property, they helped us secure a grant and re-develop the building because we needed to re-insulate the roof which has made it much warmer and reduced our heating bills.

“Our future is very bright. Having our contract renewed with the UK military is a key factor in moving forward with our development plans and having the relationship with the Growth Hub meant when we moved here, we were able join the dots to move forward much more quickly.”

Craig Humphrey, CEO at CW Growth Hub, said understanding the nuances of local government could sometimes hold businesses back from achieving their ambitions.

He said: “The Growth Hub is here to provide advice and support from accessing grants to attending workshops but one of our areas of expertise is navigating local authorities which can be really important when applying for planning permission.

“Many business owners don’t have a great deal of experience in this area and helping them to apply for extensions or create new buildings is really important so that they don’t fall at the first hurdle and not only does it help them to achieve their growth plans but it boosts the local economy when more jobs are created.”

Gary Thyeson, Head of Operations at Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, has worked with Indigo Fitness since 2017.

“The transformation in their building is incredible,” he said. “I remember visiting on a cold, wet day in December and there was no roof! Phil, Rob and the rest of the team have worked extremely hard since moving in and the success of their state-of-the-art premises mirrors the success of the company.

“I am really proud that the Growth Hub continues to play a part in their achievements through skills support and various referrals, and their recent contract successes emphasise that Indigo Fitness is not standing still.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .