Seaham’s Smart Manufacturing Solutions in gear with Bugatti deal

A quality and recruitment services provider is helping power an international sports car brand’s green drive.

Smart Manufacturing Solutions (SMS) is working with Bugatti.

The Seaham-based firm is providing engineers to help the marque roll out an electric supercar, in a move bosses hope will provide a “springboard to more contracts internationally.”

It has already sent a cohort of electrical engineers to a Croatian plant, with further staff due to head to the Balkan country, and a sister operation in Italy, to ramp up work.

SMS secured the contract through an existing relationship with a Bugatti operations manager, and Adam Smith, the business’ co-founder [pictured, above, middle, with co-founders Pete Williams and Craig Wood] – who heads up its recruitment arm – said he expects the tie-up to deliver further work.

He said: “We anticipate this will lead to other projects within Bugatti as there’s a real shortage of technical expertise within the electrical engineering field overseas.

“However, that’s one of our specialities and we know we can meet demand from Bugatti.”

SMS, based on Seaham Grange Industrial Estate, counts Gestamp, Cummins, Dyer Engineering and Katmex among its clients.

Founded with three people in November 2020, it now has 13 office staff and ten off-site management workers, with a further 100-plus quality inspectors employed as sub-contractors across the North East.

Craig Wood, co-founder, added: “From launching just two years ago, we’re now on track to achieve £3 million-plus turnover and have secured contracts with some real big hitters, particularly within the automotive industry.

“This latest contract with Bugatti is certainly our biggest in terms of brand profiling and we hope it will act as a springboard to us securing more contracts internationally.”