A Cowley-based firm has bought a company which manufactures lightweight components for customers including McLaren.

Unipart, a logistics, supply chain, manufacturing and consultancy company, has acquired Formaplex Technologies.

Formaplex was set up two decades ago as a specialist tooling partner in the F1 automotive sector, with clients including McLaren, who are fully supportive of the acquisition and remain committed to working with the business in the future.

It works with customers in the automotive, aerospace, motorsport and healthcare sectors and has grown to become a key UK supplier of polymer and composite solutions.

The Unipart buildings in CowleyThe Unipart buildings in Cowley (Image: Newsquest)

Unipart's chief executive officer, Darren Leigh, said: "Growing our manufacturing capabilities through this acquisition expands our offering and aligns perfectly with Unipart’s growth strategy to offer our existing and new customers a breadth of supply chain solutions and performance improvement technologies.

"It reinforces our commitment to enhancing and growing the UK supply chain.

"I am pleased to welcome the Formaplex team to Unipart and excited about the potential this acquisition unlocks for innovation and growth, enabling us to expand our portfolio and strengthen our position in the UK manufacturing sector."

Unipart plans to integrate the operations with its existing manufacturing capabilities, maintaining the high operational and safety standards both companies deliver.

Formaplex will now operate under the name Unipart Polymer and Composite Solutions.

McLaren’s chief procurement officer, Jorg Laser, added: "We strongly value our long-term supply relationship with Formaplex and we welcome the specialist capabilities that Unipart, a long-standing partner of McLaren, now brings to enhancing this relationship.

"We are excited to see the innovative solutions and continued excellence that this combination will deliver for us."

Carol Rose Burke, Unipart Manufacturing Group managing director, said: "I am delighted we are further investing in our UK manufacturing capabilities through the acquisition of Formaplex.

"It will further support supply chains involved in delivering powertrain products used for internal combustion engines and electrification, as well as enhancing our offer for a growing number of uses in various other sectors such as construction and rail."

In 2024, the company is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Unipart brand, having been a division within British Leyland in 1974 and becoming a private company through a management buyout in 1987.

It has more than 12,000 employees across its operations in the UK and 20 international markets.

Last year it became the first organisation to be recognised with a world-class safety, wellbeing and sustainability ‘treble’ by the British Safety Council, and had its near-term and net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.