What Ingimex does

Ingimex Ltd, founded in 1973 and headquartered in Telford, UK, is the UK's largest manufacturer of light commercial vehicle (LCV) bodies. The company designs and builds dropside, tipper, and Luton van bodies, predominantly as 3.5-tonne conversions for chassis-cab platforms supplied by major OEMs including Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Iveco, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Vauxhall, MAN, and Citroën. Ingimex pioneered the use of aluminium construction in the UK LCV body segment, replacing traditional steel-and-wood builds with a proprietary bolted aluminium assembly that reduces weight and improves durability.

The company operates from a 6.6-acre purpose-built manufacturing facility in Telford, with in-house Luton van production brought on-site in 2012 and progressively automated through a £1.8M expansion programme (2018) and subsequent Bystronic laser cutting investment (2023). Its product range is tested to European standards EN12642 XL, EN12640, and DIN75410, and it holds EC Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA), including platform-specific approvals such as Mercedes Sprinter (2013). New product launches have extended chassis coverage to the Iveco Daily Luton (2013) and the VW Transporter T6 Pick-up/Tip-up (2017).

Ingimex is family-owned (the Gallen family) with Justin Gallen as Managing Director and Jeremy Gallen as Engineering Director; it is privately held with no external funding. Revenue is generated through B2B sales of vehicle body conversions to commercial vehicle dealerships and fleet operators, with vehicle manufacturer-approved conversion schemes on platforms such as VW Crafter and Mercedes-Benz, and a named strategic fleet relationship with Northgate. Operations are certified to ISO 9001:2015, and the business model is unit-volume conversion work tied to UK commercial vehicle demand and fleet replacement cycles.

Name

Ingimex

Legal name

Ingimex Ltd

Website

https://ingimex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ingimex is a Telford-based, family-owned UK manufacturer of light commercial vehicle bodies — dropside, tipper, and Luton van conversions — serving commercial vehicle dealers and fleet operators across multiple chassis OEM platforms since 1973.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Light Commercial Vehicle Body Manufacturing

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing (336211), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Truck Body & Upfit Manufacturing (Box/Dump/Service/Refuse) (IMACAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Chassis Cab Conversion & Vocational Body Integration (IMACAGAI)

Keywords

• Light commercial vehicles
• Vehicle body manufacturing
• Dropside tipper bodies
• Luton van conversions
• Aluminium vehicle bodies

Headquarters

HQ city

Telford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. LCV Body Manufacturing and Sales: Design, manufacture, and sale of light commercial vehicle bodies including Dropside, Tipper, and Luton van conversions for 3.5 tonne vehicles from major chassis manufacturers such as Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Iveco, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Vauxhall, MAN, and Citroën. Bodies are sold with a 3 year warranty.
2. Spare Parts and Accessories: Supply of LCV spare parts for all Ingimex body types. Options and modifications available including tail-lifts, livery, load poles, beacons, fall rails, tool boxes, tow bars, and painted sideboards.
3. Repair and Maintenance Support: In-house support team providing repair and maintenance information. Parts designed for easy installation with simple hand tools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ingimex designs, manufactures, and sells light commercial vehicle (LCV) bodies for 3.5-tonne chassis, offering Dropside, Tipper, and Luton van conversions compatible with leading chassis manufacturers including Ford, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Iveco, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Vauxhall, MAN, and Citroën. The company pioneered aluminium body construction to deliver lightweight, high-strength bodies with market-leading payloads, and complements its manufacturing with spare parts supply and after-sales support.

Product overview

Ingimex is the UK's largest manufacturer of light commercial vehicle (LCV) bodies, offering a complete range of 3.5 tonne Dropside, Tipper, and Luton van conversions for leading chassis manufacturers. The company pioneered the use of aluminium to replace standard steel and wood construction, resulting in lightweight bodies with market-leading payloads. Their product portfolio centers on three core product lines (Dropside, Tipper, Luton Van) with specialized sub-variants like the T6 Pick-up and T6 Tip-up for Volkswagen Transporter. They also offer comprehensive optional modifications for each product line, a spare parts service with 10-year commitment, and repair/maintenance support. All products are designed, manufactured, and tested in-house at their Telford facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dropside Lightweight, high-strength LCV body suitable for general freight, available for multiple chassis manufacturers including Ford Transit, Volkswagen Crafter, Mercedes Sprinter, and others. Features EN12642 XL and EN12640 compliance with market-leading payload capacity.
• Tipper Lightweight and robust LCV body suitable for carrying and tipping loose loads, available for multiple chassis manufacturers. Features a high-strength platform, three-level load lashing, and 400kg gantry capacity.
• Luton Van LCV body designed for dry freight or secure loads with market-leading payload. Features aluminium shutter construction, four-tier load restraint system with aluminium lashing tracks, and integrated interior lighting. Available for multiple chassis manufacturers including Volkswagen Crafter, Ford Transit, and Vauxhall Movano.
• T6 Pick-up Body exclusively designed for the Volkswagen Transporter T6 chassis with tubular bulkheads, underbody foot-steps aligned with cab profile, and multiple load securing points. Offers 1.2 tonne payload with compact vehicle characteristics.
• T6 Tip-up Body exclusively designed for the Volkswagen Transporter T6 chassis with tubular bulkheads, underbody foot-steps aligned with cab profile, and multiple load securing points. Offers 1 tonne payload with compact vehicle characteristics.
• LCV Spare Parts Spare parts service for Ingimex bodies, with a 10-year parts availability commitment after final production date of any given model. Bolted construction design enables easy repair and replacement with simple hand tools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Luton van weight reduced from 850kg to 650kg (25% reduction) with target of 400kg
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BystroniccoreTechnology or Integration · 24 September 2023Supplier of Bystronic Bysmart 6kw laser cutting equipment. Ingimex is seeking on-site nitrogen generation equipment for use with this laser system (2023 project).
• NorthgatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTool Hire spec of the Dropside body developed in conjunction with Northgate to meet specific customer demands. Built 200-300kg lighter than their original Dropside which was previously manufactured externally.
• BystroniccoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor replacement of hand-fed laser cutting machine with automated Bystronic laser cutting equipment, enabling programmes to be set and run continuously and significantly reducing lead times.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Montracon: One of the UK's largest trailer and commercial vehicle body manufacturers. Operates in the same commercial body space as Ingimex but with a broader product range spanning curtainsiders, box vans, and specialist trailers.
• Cartwright Group: UK's largest independent commercial vehicle body, trailer and converter manufacturer. Comparable in LCV and truck body manufacturing but operates at significantly larger scale with a broader product portfolio including trailers and specialist vehicles.
• Schmitz Cargobull: Europe's largest trailer and semi-trailer manufacturer with body production capabilities. Comparable in commercial body manufacturing but at significantly larger scale and broader European geographic footprint.
• Krone: Major European commercial vehicle body and trailer manufacturer. Comparable in body fabrication technology and customer segments but operates at much larger scale across continental Europe rather than UK-only.
• JPM Trailers: UK trailer and commercial vehicle body manufacturer. Operates in adjacent product categories (trailers and tippers) serving similar UK fleet customers, but with a focus on heavier-duty commercial vehicles than Ingimex's 3.5 tonne range.
• Ifor Williams Trailers: Largest UK trailer manufacturer producing commercial and specialist trailers. Adjacent competitor for UK fleet and tradesperson customers, though focused on towed trailers rather than LCV body conversions.

Direct peers

• Bevan Group: UK commercial vehicle body manufacturer producing bodies and conversions for major chassis. Most direct UK peer in terms of product range (dropsides, tippers, box vans) and customer base (fleet operators, OEMs).
• Woodall Nicholson: UK truck body manufacturer with a comparable product range across commercial vehicle body conversions. Operates as a UK-focused specialist directly competing in dropside, tipper and Luton segments.

Emerging players

• Bott: UK van racking and interior storage systems provider for LCVs. Adjacent to Ingimex's body conversion offering and serves overlapping fleet customers, but focuses on interior fit-out rather than exterior body construction.

Regional players

• Kögel: European commercial trailer and body manufacturer headquartered in Germany. Operates in the same commercial vehicle body space as Ingimex but serves continental European rather than UK fleet customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ingimexltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ingimex-108755268248274

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ingimex