A thriving Adlington business got a welcome visit from Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP.
Sir Lindsay has followed the company’s progress throughout the past years and DA Techs’ founders, Jamie Baxter and Phil Barnard spoke to Sir Lindsay about the company’s rapid growth and exciting plans for the future.
Founded in 2016 by the two local friends, Jamie and Phil left their previous careers with a vision to change the automotive industry.
Eight years later, DA Techs now employs over 55 staff and refurbishes over 65,000 alloy wheels annually.
Sir Lindsay was able to see first hand how much the local business, in his constituency of Chorley, has evolved since his last visit in late 2020. All from what began as a single unit at Adlington South Business Park.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP said: “Four years on at DA Techs, who would have thought we would be celebrating this level of success – it’s completely expanded.
"But the success story isn’t just the expansion, but the number of jobs Jamie and Phil have created and this was done with a pandemic. Just think what these two could do without a pandemic!
“This is something absolutely special, something fantastic, all based in the village where I live. So, I must congratulate them, I’m thankful to Jamie and Phil for investing in the community that matters so much to me.”
During the visit, the Speaker had the chance to operate a M200V Micro Lenco Lathe, participating in cutting an alloy wheel. The American Lathe is a significant innovation – reducing alloy wheel turnaround time for customers by up to two days. In a UK first, DA Techs remains the exclusive distributor of the lathe both here and across the EU – a major milestone for the north-west business.
Jamie Baxter, co-founder, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome back Sir Lindsay to our Adlington HQ. He was incredibly enthusiastic about our mission to make a mark in the community and become the first port of call for driver repairs across the region.”
Sir Lindsay marked the official rebrand of DA Techs’ sister company ST Accident Repair Centre with a ribbon cutting alongside Bodyshop Director Andy Wren.
The sister company focusing on specialist vehicle repair was recently awarded the Kitemark British Standard certification 10125 – making the company an insured approved repair centre, a universal stamp of approval within the automotive industry.
At the end of the tour, the Speaker went on to meet a group of apprentices and young people who joined DA Techs after finishing school.
Sir Lindsay said he was very happy to see an organisation so invested in the success of young people in their community and is pleased to see DA Techs has no plans to slow down.
He also marked his second visit to the site with the signing of an alloy wheel as he had done on his first visit.
Jamie added: “Lindsay’s return marks a real milestone in the journey of DA Techs. Phil and I were overwhelmed by the Speaker’s warm words and kind remarks about the progress we’ve made in such a short space of time.
“We’re already looking forward to the next four years at DA Techs, with a dedicated team and hard-working individuals the sky is really the limit on our success.”
For more information on DA Techs and its alloy repair services including Diamond Smart mobile vans, please ring 01204 802470.
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