A 'big green parcel machine' has become the first vehicle to roll off Bevan Group's new production line in Halesowen.

Bevan Group, a specialist in the commercial vehicle body build and repair industry and winner of The Birmingham Post Business Award, has completed production of the first vehicle at its new site on the Amber Way in Halesowen.

The 'big green parcel machine' is the first of 80 vehicles to emerge from a new contract for UK parcel carrier Tuffnells Parcel Express.

The contract, for 8ft x 20ft 7.5-tonne rigid lightweight box vans with tail lift, forms valuable repeat business for Bevan Group, which employs 35 at Amber Way and 70 at its other site in Oldbury.

Amber Way, which opened in February following a #1.5 million investment by Bevan Group.

The new site has enabled the mass production of dry freight van and truck bodies.

It has also speeded up the production process so a van chassis need only be at the centre for eight hours.

Chris Hare, director at Bevan Group, said: "The standard time for a van or truck body to be built is about 40 or 50 hours.

"But we have brought all the elements together separately so the van only has to be at our factory for eight hours.

"This allows van users to have their vehicles on the road much quicker."

The new site has helped Bevan Group win repeat business with Harvest Furnishings, Jewson, and SGB Scaffolding, in addition to the work with Sheffield-based Tuffnells.

Mr Hare said: "Having the new site has helped us by freeing up our primary location in Oldbury to deal with more specialised and complex vehicles.

"We moved the Welford Thomas specialised vehicle in from Dudley to Oldbury, which builds refuse collection and council vehicles.

It also enabled the company to move our aftersales team to Amber Way, which currently comprises of 12 engineers out on the road and five people working in office support."

It has helped the company win #4 million of contracts since the New Year, with sales running around 15 per cent ahead of last year.

Mr Hare said: "Amber Way is making us more efficient and making delivery dates more achievable.

"As the orders come in, and efficiency improves there will be room for more production staff, and we could be looking at taking on 15 more people by the end of this year."

Sales are expected to increase from #16 million to #20 million, helped by orders like with Tuffnells.

Last year as part of a brand new contract, Bevan Group built 45 vehicles for Tuffnells.

This additional order will take the total build to 125, representing over 20 per cent of the entire Tuffnells fleet in just one year.

As well as utilising the extensive bodybuilding skills at Bevan Group, Tuffnells also took advantage of the specialist paint service offered by the group's paint division in Wednesbury with the distinctive livery being used to create the conspicuous big green parcel machine.

Alan Wood, national fleet engineer at Tuffnells, said: "It's great to see a British manufacturer investing in the industry.

"The new production facilities have almost doubled Bevan Group's capacity, along with reducing lead times.

"Their level of service is already hard to beat and we're delighted that Tuffnells are the first vehicles to roll off the production line."

Mr Hare said: "We are proud to be dealing with such blue chip companies and producing such easily recognised vans.

"As you drive around and see our vans, it's like seeing part of your family."