WHS Plastics’ growth over the past 90 years shows that the best businesses are still built on trust & integrity
Founded in 1933 by William Henry Smith, from whom it takes its name, WHS Plastics (WHS) began its journey as a toolmaking business based in Minworth. The current owner is Clinton Smith, the grandson of its original founder, and under him the business is run and operated by a Board of Directors headed by CEO Paul Nicholson, who describes the company as ‘one of the largest family-owned businesses in the UK that is very proud of its heritage and values.’
Over the decades, WHS has evolved significantly, refining its operations to become a predominantly automotive supplier of complex injection moulded components. Today, approximately 80 percent of the business serves the automotive sector, including both first tier and second tier supply, and it works with many of the major OEMs in the UK, from Jaguar Land Rover and Toyota to Aston Martin, Bentley and Nissan. “WHS’s portfolio covers exterior, interior, decorative components including such high-profile items as spoilers, door claddings and grilles. In addition, we have a comprehensive program of technical and under-bonnet parts, and our latest venture involves us in broadening our portfolio to encompass EV battery parts for a major OEM. This initiative involves some groundbreaking technology and a multi-million-pound investment on behalf of WHS and the customer. The remaining 20 percent of the business is more diverse, encompassing everything from chemical dispensing units, high performance engine components, advanced food distribution packaging and extrusion products for companies as diverse as Caterpillar, Perkins, Marks & Spencer and Hewlett Packard.”
Manufacturing footprint
To support such a wide range of differentiated components WHS operates an extremely broad manufacturing footprint featuring a total of ten plants across the UK. “Our northernmost facility is located in Larkhall in Scotland, and employes 400 people and at the other end of the country, we have a facility in Swansea, South Wales, which operates with 30 team members. In between, we have plants in Pickering, Runcorn, and a couple across the West Midlands, including our headquarters at Minworth near Sutton Coldfield. With more facilities in Brierley Hill, Telford, Bridgnorth and Bromyard. In total, we employ approximately 2400 people and generate revenues in the region of £300 million a per annum.
“Having been quite acquisitive over recent years, many of our plants have overlapping capabilities. Part of our strategy going forward is to realign these facilities centred around a product-family model to sharpen focus and improve efficiency. One exception is Brierley Hill, which specializes in off-highway components for the likes of Denso, Perkins, and Caterpillar – as they operate quite differently to mainstream automotive production. Our remaining plants are principally engaged in the injection moulding, assembly, and painting of plastic parts. Beyond the UK, we have a facility in Cairo, Egypt which was originally set up around automotive electronic component supply, though today it handles most of our chemical dispensing manufacture and related equipment,” Paul elaborates.
At the end of last year, WHS completed the strategic acquisition of Polytec Car Styling (Polytec), a Bromyard and Telford based manufacturer. Mike Murphy, Chief Sales Officer, shares insights into the rationale behind the purchase and integration process. “Our primary motivation was strategic alignment, as Polytec operates in the same space as we do. It was previously owned by a large Austrian group that had decided to exit the UK market, reflecting a broader contraction in the domestic automotive industry as car manufacturers navigate an increasingly complex geopolitical and technological landscape. For us, the acquisition was fundamentally about consolidating our position in the UK market and doubling down on our commitment to British OEM manufacturers. Polytec’s owners wanted to divest, and we saw a clear opportunity to strengthen our strategic position within the UK theater. This acquisition, now known as WHS CS Ltd, also brought a new customer into our portfolio, Bentley, and we are genuinely excited to build upon this relationship going forward.”
Culture and values remain a core priority for WHS, and the board is totally committed to ensuring the new colleagues at WHS CS adopt the same approach to these values as the rest of the group. As a genuinely family-run business, the company strives to preserve its personal, close-knit family feel, whilst operating a high level of professionalism and corporate responsibility, even as it scales. “Values like trust, respect and openness are seen as the building blocks of what we do and who we are, and both the family and board expect all 2400 team members to believe in this vision,” Paul states. “It can be challenging and we don’t always get there, but we strongly believe in this approach and it will continue to underpin our strategy going forward.
“Mike, myself and our board colleagues go on roadshows around the country, turn up on night shifts, give presentations and hold town hall meetings. This is because we want to be visible and not merely seen as ‘the board’, but as Paul, Mike, Matt, and Brad. We have really focused on that visibility across the business by being present, being part of it, and leading from the front,” reflects Paul.
That same philosophy of trust and long-term thinking does not stop at the factory floor; it runs through the supply chain too. Nowhere is this more evident than in WHS’s enduring partnership with many critical supply partners including Simoldes, which has proven pivotal to its growth and innovation. “Simoldes is a Portugal-based toolmaker and long-term business partner of ours. Widely regarded as one of the premier toolmakers in the injection molding industry, Simoldes has been in partnership with WHS for many years and also supplied the recently acquired Polytec business. While there are significant cost pressures from tooling suppliers in China, India and Italy for complex, high-visibility exterior parts, we often look no further than Simoldes. We manufacture the prestigious front grille that is the face of the Range Rover – and the tolerances and fine details required make this an extremely challenging part to manufacture. When we choose a supplier, it reflects on our credibility, reputation, and ability to deliver, and the quality has to be right, which is why Simoldes is the partner we often turn to,” Paul expresses.
Strong relationships with trusted suppliers are key to delivering the high-quality products demanded by high-profile clients such as Aston Martin and Bentley, who maintain exceptionally high standards. Its partnership with Simoldes is a testament to WHS’s commitment to always delivering to the level its customers expect. Central to this is a deeply personal approach to customer relationships. Given the diversity and complexity of the parts WHS supplies, and the scale on which it operates, the business is reliant on detailed, trust-based partnerships with its clients. “We very much operate on the basis that our word is our bond; we say what we do and we are very self-critical. Before any customer criticizes us, we criticize ourselves, and we believe that embracing this approach is what builds trust among our customers. By putting ourselves under the greatest scrutiny, we know we will not let down any of our clients,” Mike comments.
Paul adds: “I think it is important to say that across the four board members, we believe our personal credibility and personal reputation are the most important things we can bring to this business and our people. We need to develop trust across our workforce, just as we need to build it across our customer base. The interests of the two do not always align; employees naturally seek greater reward, while customers seek greater value for money. Nonetheless, we believe that personal credibility and reputation are our Unique Selling Point (USP), and that is what we build this business around.”
What WHS demonstrates is that scale and ethos are not mutually exclusive. In an industry increasingly shaped by geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain pressures and consolidation, the company has grown from a single-site toolmaker into a £300 million operation, all without losing sight of the values it was founded upon. The Polytec acquisition may have increased its UK scope and revenue overnight, but the harder work has been ensuring that the resulting growth does not dilute what makes WHS stand out: a strong family ethos and steadfast dedication to fostering enduring relationships with suppliers and clients alike. With a clear strategy, an expanded physical footprint and that founding ethos still intact, the company is well positioned for further growth on its own terms.
