Client Case Study
Towmate Trailers Ltd, a growing manufacturer of heavy-duty trailers, faced capacity constraints and inefficiencies that threatened to slow its expansion. By partnering with Lean Learning Collective and applying tailored lean principles, digital tools, and process improvements, they achieved a 50% increase in daily production and a potential £600,000 annual profit uplift, all without additional capital investment.
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Industry: Heavy-duty commercial trailer manufacturing (utilities & construction)
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Location: Colchester, United Kingdom
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Established: 2018
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Employees: 50
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Managing Director: Steve Bradshaw
The Challenge
Towmate Trailers Ltd faced rapid growth, but outdated processes limited their output, obscured product costs, and consumed the Operations Manager’s time with daily firefighting issues.
Steve Bradshaw, MD, explains,
"We didn't really have any true idea of how long something was taking us to build. We needed someone to look at our processes and create SOPs to standardise operations and give us clarity."
Why Towmate Chose LLC
Steve highlights:
"We chose Graeme and LLC because of his proven track record in lean transformations and his hands-on, 'boots-on-the-ground' approach. We needed straightforward digital tools that would deliver real results without huge CapEx."
The Roadmap
Graeme Hogg, COO for LLC, worked closely with Towmate to implement a tailored improvement plan:
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Lean Fundamentals & Workshops: Engaging the entire team to eliminate waste and embed continuous improvement habits.
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Productivity App Deployment: Feeding live dashboards for Team Leaders and Operations Manager to review and continuously improve with the data provided.
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Process & Cycle-Time Analysis: Mapping key build steps, measuring actual cycle times, and introducing better methods to cut build time.
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Organisational Redesign: Creating cell-leader roles that enabled the Operations Manager to focus on long-term capacity planning.
Tangible Results in 3 Months
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50% increase in trailers produced per day (from 6 to 12)
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"The team rose to the challenge, and we saw immediate productivity growth," says Steve.
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Potential £600k annual gross profit uplift
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"That’s a significant boost with no CapEx, just smarter, more efficient processes," Steve highlights.
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Product costing accuracy improved from 12% to 3%, enabling better financial control.
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Real-time data replaced manual spreadsheets, improving decision-making and responsiveness.
Steve reflects:
Since working with LLC, we’ve gained confidence in our capacity and our team’s ability to drive change. It’s boosted morale and created a real momentum for continuous improvement."
What This Means for SMEs
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No additional CapEx needed — results achieved using existing facilities and staff.
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Data-driven management replaces guesswork, leading to smarter planning.
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Streamlined operations free up leadership bandwidth for growth initiatives.
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The ROI: a £600k gross-profit uplift, translates into a tangible EBITDA boost, accelerating long-term success.
Why Our Clients Recommend LLC
Steve Bradshaw’s words speak volumes:
"I’d recommend Graeme and LLC to any business wanting to streamline processes and unlock hidden capacity. The results have exceeded our expectations."
He adds,
Your hands-on approach and practical tools have made a real difference;,the team is more confident, motivated, and capable of driving ongoing improvements."
Get in Touch or Book a Demo
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