The glitz and glamour of Formula One may seem a far cry from the sleepy Derbyshire village of Draycott but, when it comes to giving them the winning edge, many of the teams turn to companies like composites firm EPM Technology, reports Robin Johnson.
Today the world of Formula One is as much about the technology as it is the actual racing. The margins to which the teams work are incredibly tight, which means the competition away from the track to obtain something that gives them that winning edge is fierce.
On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of motor racing fans from across the globe will descend on Silverstone in Northamptonshire to watch the British Grand Prix. And millions more will be tuning in on television.
But few will know that some elements of the cars on the grid have actually been made in Derbyshire.
The fact is, all the teams are permanently pushing the boundaries in terms of design. And to turn these ideas into reality, the majority of them turn to a company in Draycott.
This Derbyshire village may seem a million miles away from the glitz and glamour of the F1 pit lane, but this is where EPM Technology, in Victoria Road, weaves its magic, or rather, composites it.
The company makes various parts for no fewer than six Formula One teams - Force India, Renault, Red Bull, Torro Rosso, Toyota and Honda.
One of its biggest customers is Force India, for which EPM makes all the composite parts. This includes the chassis, engine covers, nose cones and a variety of other bits and pieces.
Chief executive Graham Mulholland said: "We are working to exceptionally tight margins. For example, on the chassis, if we are just a fraction out on the measurements, we have to start again, which costs about £40,000, but in racing those small fractions make the difference."
Like that of McLaren star Lewis Hamilton, EPM's rise has been meteoric. The firm was started by chief executive Mr Mulholland in 1996. Like many fledgling companies, Graham's business began in his bedroom, where he sat armed with a motor sport directory, a phone, a pen, a piece of paper - and most importantly, a will to succeed.
He hatched a plan to make parts for racing cars using composite materials. Graham's competitive spirit was born from his time as an international slalom canoeist. In fact, one of the his first successes using composites was a safety helmet for canoeing.
He said: "Drive is very important, but planning is absolutely essential. You cannot just work on a project and then when it's finished look for another one. You've got to have a constant flow of work, which is what we have achieved today."
Before he set up his business, Graham worked as an apprentice laminator for a company called Astec. But frustrated with their management methods, he decided to set up EPM.
After three years working from his bedroom and sub-contracting the work out, Graham got some physical premises at Coalville, Leicestershire. The company continued to grow and then an opportunity arose for Graham to buy Astec - the company where he started as an apprentice.
In 2002, Graham bought out Astec. He dropped the name but kept its Draycott premises. Today, they are at the heart of everything the firm does. It has been transformed into technical centre to meet the demands of the likes of F1 teams.
Within its walls, its team of 120 staff produces high-performance components for the international motor sport market. But it is not just motor racing, it also carries out work for a diverse array of industry sectors.
This includes telecommunications, commercial vehicles and niche vehicles such as Aston Martin and Connaught.
But perhaps the most high-profile clients come from the world of F1. Graham said: "As you would expect, the expectations of our F1 clients are immense. But we are able to swiftly deliver by maintaining a firm grip on the pace the sport requests of our industry.
"This has been achieved by maintaining and managing close confidential relationships which enable us to tackle works as fully predetermined, long-term assignments. The list of items we build is endless, from functional components such as steering wheel carcasses to complete principal structures."
EPM also carries out work for teams involved in the World Rally Championship and the British Touring Car Championship. The company works with M-Sport, one of the world's leading rally car preparation companies, to supply parts.
Graham said: "Due to the nature of the WRC, parts need to be strong, lightweight and readily available to be shipped to almost anywhere in the world. These demands are unique and include not only manufacturing extremely specific parts but supporting our clients with full logistic support, which requires its own management program.
"It's also led to some quite interesting situations. I remember one time the Ford team were going testing in Spain. They were running to a tight schedule and I had to chase their lorry down the motorway before it reached Dover!"
Being surrounded by the world of speed, Graham could not resist having a go himself. He races a Citroen Saxo at race tracks all over the UK. He said: "It's extremely addictive. But because of the line of business I'm in it's really tempting to replace some of the parts on the car with a lighter, composite version!"
Graham, who is from Allestree, is proud that his company is in Derbyshire. He said: "Some people may not realise that some of the F1 cars they watch on television have been made just down the road from them. Personally, I am proud when I think that when the races are on, our handiwork is being seen by millions of people across the world."
Graham also believes that the work the company does is helping to inspire local youngsters to pursue a career in engineering.
He said: "We have no end of work-experience candidates come to work with us. I think that is very important because that is how I first got interested in this line of work. We also take school visits and some of the pupils who at first did not seem interested are suddenly asking questions.
"Derbyshire is a real hotbed in terms of hi-tech engineering companies and we like to take an active involvement in the region and share the benefit of our experience with others."
After so many years building up the business, according to Graham, the future of EPM looks rosy. He said: "We have gone through some hard times to get where we are today. We are now poised to announce outstanding figures for this year. It has been down to a combination of factors. Firstly, an excellent team of staff. Like in F1, it is important to have the right team in place if you are going to be successful.
"We've also had a certain amount of luck along the way, basically being in the right place at the right time but hard work has been one of the key factors. In this business as soon as you take your eye off the ball and start thinking about the golf course then that's it. That's why we go the extra mile to ensure that our customers are satisfied."
Source: Derby Evening Telegraph
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