• Founded on over 15 years of Fablink Group success and draws on the unique manufacturing and technical expertise within the Group
• Streamline Automotive provides competitive expert manufacturing services from body panels to sub-assemblies and chassis structures to complete vehicle assembly in purpose-built facilities
• Customers benefit from Fablink Technologies providing full support to customer engineering teams from first concept study, Design for Manufacture, prototyping and tooling through to full-scale manufacture
• Streamline Automotive will feature a sub-brand – Streamline E-Mobility – providing EV companies access to turnkey manufacturing solutions with a particular focus on mixed material architecture, lightweight bonded structures, and complete vehicle assembly
• Streamline Automotive reintroduces the Streamline brand – a heritage brand from Fablink Group founder Richard Westley’s family business, founded in the 1940s
• Fablink Group, headquartered in Northamptonshire, is a leading British Tier 1 supplier of automotive and off-highway structures and complete vehicle assemblies to some of the world’s leading OEMs in the automotive, transport and off-highway markets
Northamptonshire, 10th May 2022: Leading British Tier 1 supplier, Fablink Group, today announces the establishment of Streamline Automotive. The new division has been created to meet the rapidly growing demand for low to medium volume manufacturing and clean build assembly services from premium OEMs, specialist brands and e-mobility start-ups.
Streamline Automotive is founded on the success and continuous growth of Fablink Group over more than 15 years and draws on the unique manufacturing and technical expertise within the Group. Streamline Automotive provides cost-effective and complete clean build vehicle assembly capabilities within state-of-the-art facilities. This service is enhanced by the foundations set by Fablink Group’s comprehensive manufacturing base and strong supply chain management capability.
Customers of the new division will also benefit from Fablink Technologies – the advanced engineering hub at the heart of the Group – providing full backing to customer engineering teams from first concept study to full-scale manufacture, including product development, prototyping, tooling and Design for Manufacture (DFM) support.
Streamline Automotive will feature the sub-brand: Streamline E-Mobility. Rapidly scaling for the mass shift to electrification in the automotive and commercial vehicle sectors, Streamline E-Mobility is primed to accommodate increasing demand. The sub-brand will provide EV companies, start-ups, and e-mobility companies a competitive turnkey manufacturing solution for mixed material architecture including body panels, lightweight chassis and bonded structures as well as complete vehicle assembly. These core technical competencies of Streamline Automotive and Fablink Group are highly applicable to electrically powered vehicles, where lightweight components are of vital importance to battery range, vehicle performance and environmental impact.
Streamline Automotive will also provide customers with fundamental support through purchasing and the supply chain including Bill of Materials (BOM) establishment and sourcing strategies across a range of relevant commodities, including EV powertrain systems and batteries.
Founded Upon Heritage and Proven Technical Expertise
Over more than 15 years, Fablink Group has continually expanded thanks to a proven reputation in the industry and ever-increasing demand for its expertise, technologies and services, establishing itself as a key strategic OEM partner alongside renowned, well-respected brands such as CAT, DAF, Jaguar Land Rover, JCB, Morgan and Volvo.
Fablink Group’s expertise in specialist contract vehicle manufacturing has developed over the last ten years in the manufacturing and assembly of low-volume, fully armoured premium SUVs for the UK OEM market.
Fablink Group’s breadth and depth of manufacturing facilities span six UK-based sites and over half a million square feet of manufacturing space that is home to over 700 highly skilled professionals. With a strong reputation for comprehensive DFM, product development, tooling and manufacturing competencies, backed by advanced engineering capabilities, the Group is laser-focused on operational excellence. In addition, Fablink Group’s comprehensive supply chain capability is centred upon strategic commodities, as well as tactical site response and support.
Drawing upon the Group’s extensive manufacturing and engineering capability, Streamline Automotive is now formally introduced to the marketplace. The new division is set to forge new long-term strategic relationships with fellow industry-leading automotive and e-mobility businesses.
The name ‘Streamline’ has strong heritage within Fablink Group. Alan Westley, the grandfather of Fablink Group’s Founder and CEO, Richard Westley, gave the name ‘Streamline’ to his sheet metal business, which he founded with his brother, George, in 1941. Streamline supplied panels, bodies and structures to the aviation and automotive sectors.
Richard Westley, Founder and CEO of Fablink Group, explains: “We are delighted to launch Streamline Automotive – a new division of Fablink Group which is dedicated to specialist low to medium volume contract vehicle manufacturing and assembly.
“The launch of Streamline Automotive is a logical step for Fablink Group following a decade and a half of continuous growth and the development of our engineering and manufacturing capability and OEM customer base. We are seeing rapidly growing demand in the market, including new business enquiries from specialist car companies and EV and e-mobility start-ups who, in the absence of a manufacturing base of their own, increasingly require lightweight, energy-efficient, cost-effective and cutting-edge manufacturing and clean build solutions for their new vehicles and products.
“With the support of Fablink’s engineering, development and manufacturing resources, Streamline Automotive will provide customer engineering teams with comprehensive support from initial concept to full-scale manufacture, making us uniquely positioned to provide a turnkey solution with the breadth of our unmatched in-house expertise and capabilities.
“On a personal note, it also gives me tremendous pride to reintroduce the Streamline name to the industry. My grandfather and his brother founded a business that made lightweight panels and assemblies for the aviation and automotive industries in the 1940s, so it is fitting that the Streamline name returns to the Fablink division which will help define the future of mobility and premium automotive for our customers.”
• Fablink Group, headquartered in Northamptonshire, is a leading British Tier 1 supplier of automotive structures and complete vehicle assemblies to some of the world’s leading OEMs in the automotive, transport and off-highway markets including CAT, CNH, DAF, JLR, JCB, Mecalac, Moke, Morgan, Nifty-Lift and Perkins.
Fablink Group is renowned for the supply of pressings and complex welded structures, cab assemblies, lightweight bonded aluminium chassis and structures, mixed material architectures, as well as lower volume build for automotive and e-mobility brands. With depth and breadth of operations across six British sites, Fablink Group’s 500,0002 ft of manufacturing space is home to over 700 highly skilled engineers and production staff.
At the heart of Fablink Group sits Fablink Technologies as an advanced engineering and technology hub providing engineering services through product development, prototyping, tooling design and build as well as a strong design for manufacture (DFM) capability to support Fablink Group’s customers. Fablink Technologies’ market-leading expertise delivers complete engineering engagement with customer engineering teams from initial concept, through prototyping to manufacture.
Streamline Automotive is a new division within Fablink Group, providing low to medium volume clean build manufacturing for premium OEMs, specialist brands and e-mobility start-ups. Streamline E-Mobility – a sub-brand – provides e-mobility companies access to turnkey manufacturing solutions for lightweight chassis, mixed-material architecture and bonded aluminium structures.
