Welcome to the King Group of Companies
The King Group (King Vehicle Engineering and its subsidiary companies) are well-established British engineering manufacturers offering diverse and bespoke transport solutions to our clients across a broad range of industries from design, through manufacture and testing and certification, all carried out ‘in-house’ at our site atMarketHarborough,Leicestershire.
King Trailers low volume bespoke manufacturing approach allows us to build bespoke trailers for specialist applications in the defence, nuclear, aviation and oil and gas industries as well as ‘off the shelf’ trailer models for more standard transportation requirements and plant bodies.
King Rail provide a new build conversion and extensive refurbishment service for on-track rail plant including first of class certification, utilising on site test facilities.
King Highway Products are the UK’s market leader in the build of specialist traffic management vehicles from 3.5t to 32t including Impact Protection Vehicles (IPV’s). Partnerships with leading innovative European manufacturers; Verdegro and Nissen and our own design team keep our products at the forefront of the market whilst a comprehensive national team of technicians ensure a comprehensive aftersales service.
Safety Vehicle Hire and Lease provide our clients with the option of short or long term hire for all the King Group products including IPV’s and low loader trailers whilst our team of in-house mobile service technicians provide industry leading back up nationally.
King AVMS provides an industry leading Advanced Variable Messaging System across a wide variety of applications, whether it be smart or conventional motorways or urban traffic systems. The modular, full matrix display area can display an almost infinite range of pictograms, aspects and legends.
History
Founded at Market Harborough, in 1962 by Canadian engineer Vern King, King Trailers is the longest established British trailer manufacturer.
Pioneers of the single, twin and tri-axle trailers, stepframe plant-carrier trailers and of hydraulic goosenecks, King’s reputation for longevity is legendary and a great many of the ‘early years’ trailers remain in service today.
Diversification of our product range and client offering followed in the early 2000’s with the incorporation of sister companies into the King Group; King Highway Products (2001), Safety Vehicle Hire and Lease (2005), and King Transport Equipment (2006).
Supplying and hiring specialist traffic management industry vehicles and equipment to a developing market and offering bespoke project-based transportation solutions including entering the rail plant market.
As with many British manufacturers King struggled for several years through the economic downturn which began 2008, selling and leasing back its Market Harborough site to generate capital.
In June 2016 the Martin Group of Companies (www.hwmartin.com ) purchased the entire share holding of the King Group and set about the restructuring and redevelopment of King.
Today
A new focus and investment in successful and developing product lines, making customer service a priority and bringing in new employees with new skills are all rebuilding King’s reputation as an industry leader in its field.
Investment has included the re-purchase of the King original site and an adjacent site.
The provision of support services by the larger Martin Group provides long term strategy, robust operating systems and opportunities for King.
The Future
King looks positively to the future; to developing supplier and client relationships and continuing to provide a unique and all-encompassing offering; of design, through manufacture to product certification.