SETTING yourself apart from the rest and being dynamic can be a tall order. However Bradford on Avon’s Anthony Best Dynamics (ABD) is an automotive powerhouse creating products used across the globe.

Anthony Best founded the firm in 1982 and was set up to supply noise, vibration and suspension engineering services to the automotive industry.

The Holt Road-based site now designs and manufactures specialised items for kinematics and compliance testing, vehicle dynamics testing on the track, steering system testing, driver assistance system testing, vehicle dynamics and noise/vibration testing.

Some 34 years later, ABD is an automotive powerhouse and its products are used across the globe.

“People are surprised that we come from the little town of Bradford on Avon despite doing business worldwide,” said Timothy Rogers, managing director since 2012.

“We are the biggest single employer in the region and we are very proud of that. As a company we identify with the town, which is why we are building another facility to take us into the future.

“We have a good mix of people here, from staff who have been with us since the beginning to Bath University apprentices and graduates. We have nearly zero staff turnover and that is very important to us.”

The company now has 80 staff members of engineers, toolmakers and technicians, has more than doubled its floor space and in the past four years tripled its revenue and quadrupled its profit.

“It is a really exciting time, everyone is thrilled to bits. We have agreed a partnership with Williams F1 to develop a simulator for the global automotive market.

“For three years we have been listed on the London stock market and although the recession hit us hard, we have adapted. We kept all our staff on and made new products to counteract it and it has paid off.”

In the 1980s and 1990s the fast-growing company was involved in consultancy projects such as the design of the suspension of the McLaren F1 road car and an active suspension system for Jaguar.

In the 1990’s it was becoming obvious that the UK automotive industry was declining and ABD decided to use the accumulated automotive expertise within the business to concentrate on supplying vehicle test equipment to automotive manufacturers and suppliers.

The business is going from strength to strength and there is no sign of it applying the brakes on its charge towards greater prosperity.

“The research and development budget for this industry is $105 billion a year, and that is huge,” said Mr Rogers. “We only get a small part of that, so we have to try and get a bigger slice of that pie.

“I like the team here, the town, the people and the business. This is my passion and I am determined that we can grow and thrive.”