Telford firm shells out for armoured vehicle outside headquarters
You need to be able to take some flak when you are in business – but one Telford firm has taken that to extremes.
SP Services, based on the town's Hortonwood Industrial Estate, has shelled out £10,000 to park an armoured personnel carrier outside its new headquarters.
The 15 tonne armoured vehicle has been used as an ambulance in Iraq, and has been brought in to reflect the company's close links with the Ministry of Defence, its biggest customer. It will now be parked outside Bastion House, named after the Army's main military base in Afghanistan.
The new 32,000 sq ft building, built on the back of a £2 million investment from Barclays, will allow the company to further increase its £7 million annual turnover and add six new members of staff.
Company director Steve Bray said: "We wanted something as an ornamental feature and because the armoured vehicle would have been built at Hadley and maintained at MOD Donnington it has a strong local history, and as an armoured ambulance it suits us.
"It's got no engine or gearbox, which kept the price down. I think otherwise it might have been too tempting for my son to take it for a drive round Hortonwood.
"We are on quite a busy road in Hortonwood and every day cars are stopping and having a look, and people are wanting to come over and take photographs."
The tank was bought from an Army surplus company in Norfolk, and lifted into position by crane.
Dan Bray, Steve's son and another director, said: "We bought the FV432 armoured personnel carrier, which has been used in Iraq to respond to patients on the battlefield during combat, to highlight our support to our troops across the globe.
"The chances are that if a soldier is treated for a trauma injury in Afghanistan, the medic's kit will almost definitely contain supplies from SP Services which is very rewarding and brings a real sense of purpose to the business."
Established by Mr Bray in 1989, the business supplies medical, first aid, ambulance, paramedic and rescue equipment to the MOD, football and other sports clubs including Manchester United, and others. Its bags have even been used by actors playing paramedics in soaps, such as the tram crash in Coronation Street.
