Hudson Kapel invests £3.5m to triple refurbishment capacity

Vehicle services firm Hudson Kapel has tripled its refurbishment capacity across its central UK operations following a major £3.5 million investment in new technology, facilities, and staff.

The expansion spans the company’s Throckmorton, Thurleigh, and Norton sites, with 50 new technicians hired including panel beaters, mechanics, painters, and yard operatives to meet rising demand for faster, more integrated vehicle turnaround.

The investment supports Hudson Kapel’s strategy to streamline refurbishment and remarketing, with vehicles now able to be repaired, imaged, and sold from a single site, significantly reducing delays between defleet and resale.

Digital auction tools and 360-degree imaging systems have been installed to improve accuracy and speed in the sales process.

In the workshops, a production-style layout has been introduced, with clearly defined bays for every stage from mechanical checks and SMART repairs to panel work, paint, inspection, and quality control.

Technicians now use handheld devices to log defects and track vehicle progress in real time, supported by a comprehensive workshop management system. The firm has also introduced new green rooms for rapid preparation and inspection, and a dedicated wheel refurbishment facility is currently under development.

Each vehicle follows a structured workflow, beginning with service and warranty checks, moving through detailed inspections, and culminating in a final quality control check using an in-house total quality management system.

“Our investment is focused on using innovation to offer smarter solutions and greater efficiency,” said Simon Withey, director at Hudson Kapel. “We’re growing the business to deliver the scale and flexibility that manufacturers and fleets need. With the latest technology, we’ve created an integrated process that improves productivity at every stage.”

The expansion also includes enhanced vehicle storage capacity, allowing Hudson Kapel to handle larger volumes and offer greater flexibility.