A rapidly expanding manufacturer is transforming the way airports operate across the globe with autonomous vehicles developed at its headquarters in Coventry.
Professor David Keene, CEO of Aurrigo International plc, spoke at the latest Coventry and Warwickshire Champions event and highlighted the growth of the business and how its technologies are helping airports to be more efficient and sustainable.
Aurrigo International is a leading provider of smart airside solutions and has deployed its Auto-DollyTug® at five airports across the world, including Changi in Singapore, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky in the US and Schiphol in Holland.
Professor Keene spoke to delegates at the event about the business’ journey from the spare bedroom in his Tile Hill home to having more than 100 staff at offices in London, Canada, Singapore and the USA.
“We are growing rapidly as a business and scaling a company is always a challenge. Effectively, we have come from me working out of a spare bedroom 30 plus years ago to having a team of 100 plus staff,” he said.
“In 2017, we created the Aurrigo division of what was then RDM Group to help support our self-driving capabilities. There are only a handful of companies around the world that are manufacturing autonomous vehicles for carrying baggage and cargo around airports.
“Our technology is what stands us apart. Inclement weather technology, which allows vehicles to continue operating even in very heavy rain conditions, is the perfect example. We have built computer simulation modules from scratch, and all of this has been developed here in Coventry.
“Brilliant people work for us, and we benefit from being part of a strong ecosystem in Coventry and Warwickshire. We are proud of the fact we are a UK company and would like to keep manufacturing and tech we have developed here too.”
More than 130 businesses attended the September Coventry and Warwickshire Champions event at Delta Hotels by Marriott Warwick.
The event was facilitated by Adam Dent, on behalf of CW Champions, and businesses were welcomed by Craig Humphrey, CEO of CW Growth Hub Group, of which Champions is a part.
Raj Chohan, Director of Golden Key Financial services, was interviewed at the event and shared insights into her experiences as a candidate on this year’s series of The Apprentice.
From more than 85,000 applicants, entrepreneur and finance broker Chohan was one of 18 to be selected to appear on series 18 of the popular BBC1 show.
She praised it as an “incredible experience”, and highlighted how her experience in the property market in Leamington Spa prepared her for the show, which had fulfilled a life goal of meeting Lord Sugar.
Keith Day, Managing Director of Dennis Eagle UK, was the final speaker at the event and discussed how the refuse collection vehicle manufacturer is leading the way with zero emissions technologies from its Warwick headquarters.
Dennis Eagle has a turnover of £350 million, with 470 of its 1,000 employees based in Warwick. Its products are all designed in Warwick, including its full electric vehicles, which are now being used across the UK – particularly in Westminster.
Reflecting on another successful event, Craig Humphrey said “It was a fascinating Champions event where we gained invaluable insights from speakers on starting, scaling and managing industry-leading businesses, and illustrating how our sub-region is at the cutting edge of innovative, sustainable technologies.
“Champions events are all about highlighting excellence in our region and David, Raj and Keith are fantastic ambassadors for Coventry and Warwickshire.”
Photo caption: From left to right - Raj Chohan, Craig Humphrey, Keith Day, Jeremy Moore, Anna Clarke (CW Place Board) and Professor David Keene.