West Midlands-based Bevan Group has entered the tipper and traffic management vehicle market, by acquiring specialist bodybuilder, Stag Bodies.

New business Bevan Specialist Products is now trading from the factory in Stone, Staffordshire, occupied previously by Stag Bodies.

Bevan has taken on all 18 of the former company’s employees – they were turning out in the region of 500 vehicles a year, but having won several orders the new Bevan Group plans to increase production.

The launch of Bevan Specialist Products means the Bevan Group can now offer steel and alloy tipping bodies for vehicles ranging in size from 3.5 to 32 tonnes gvw.

Bevan Specialist Products also manufactures traffic management bodies and dropsiders, including high-sided units for arboreal work and other, specialised versions.

Bevan Group was already building dropsiders at its main production facility in Halesowen, but the company said the acquisition provides "useful additional capacity and flexibility to meet customer demand."

Bevan Group managing director, Anthony Bevan said. “This very exciting development takes us into a completely new market segment, and represents a perfect fit for our business,”

“As well as giving us the opportunity to approach operators we have never worked with before, it allows us to offer an extended range of bodies and services to a number of established customers with which we already enjoy excellent relationships.”

Chris Wilkes has transferred from his previous senior role at Bevan’s Oldbury operation, to take the helm as general manager at Bevan Specialist Products.

He said: “Stag Bodies had a good name in the industry for the quality and durability of its products, and I’m confident this acquisition will prove to have been a wise investment for the Group,” he said.

“With Bevan’s financial muscle, and sales and marketing expertise behind it, there’s every reason for Bevan Specialist Products to look forward to a period of rapid growth.”