Cummins UK is a diesel engine manufacturer and the Cummins USA distributor for the UK and Ireland.
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Cummins Inc. is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission solutions and electrical power generation systems. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana, (USA) Cummins serves customers in approximately 190 countries and territories through a network of more than 500 company-owned and independent distributor locations and approximately 5,200 dealer locations. Cummins reported net income of $428 million on sales of $10.8 billion in 2009.[1].
The first manufacturing facility outside of the United States was opened at Shotts in Scotland [2] known as Cummins Engine Company. Cummins occupied "the Wrens Nest" textile factory where diesel engines were manufactured. Many men from the local and surrounding areas were employed here from 1950s to 1990s. Part of this still exists today in the form of Linden International.[3]. The Cummins factory was very successful but closed in March 1998, with its operations being consolidated to the Cummins' manufacturing facility at Darlington.[4]
The Cummins branding throughout the UK and the world has gone through many changes over the years; going from Cummins blue to the current strong red, white and black branding you see on Cummins today. All Cummins branding decisions are made at a corporate level from the central headquarters in Columbus, Indiana, and then rolled throughout all Cummins distributors around the world.
Cummins UK is a is a wholly owned division of Cummins Ltd. and the distributor for UK and Ireland; but it wasn't always known by this name. Cummins Cummins Diesel Sales & Service Limited was owned by Blackwood Hodge CDS&S, operating out of Blackwood Hodge, UK. It was acquired by Cummins Inc and renamed Cummins Diesel in 1984, before having its name changed to Cummins UK in 2004. This was the case for many Blackwood Hodge operations throughout the world, for example in Australia [5]
Cummins UK currently has 8 service centres across the UK and Ireland, with its Irish facility based in Dublin and its central parts warehouse based at its headquarters in Wellingborough at Park Farm Industrial Estate.
Just after 2004 Cummins UK changed the way it operated, moving all stock (apart from some fast moving parts) out of its branches and into its headquarters in Wellingborough. This allowed customers to call one number and then have their parts delivered next day. All products sold by the company are genuine whether they be parts, engines, gensets, consumables - such as Valvoline oil, coolant and Fleetguard filters, and reconditioned parts and engines,
Cummins diesel engines were traditionally fire engine red and are still red today in many of its market sectors. Green engines tend to be used in power generation, and black in the marine division. The red engines are a popular feature in many buses and coaches on the roads in the UK, especially in London.
Though Cummins UK do not manufacture engines, they are heavily involved in selling the range of engines to customers in the UK and Ireland in all market sectors. Many Cummins engines are manufactured in one of two Cummins manufacturing facilities in the UK, in Darlington and Daventry. The engines are then prepared for the UK market and also for worldwide distribution. Together these two facilities employ a large number of engineers and Cummins is one of the largest employers in Daventry [6].
The range of engines that Cummins UK service include; Cummins B Series engine, Cummins C Series engine, Cummins M Series engine and Cummins L Series engine and others.
Cummins UK stopped selling new engines for the truck market towards the end of the decade. in order to focus on other market sectors, such as power generation, bus, coach, and rail.
Cummins UK supplies engines and products to a variety of different market sectors including: agricultural, bus & coach, construction, industrial, marine, military, mining, power generation, rail and truck.
Business operations are based at the headquarters in Wellingborough, with the marine section, based at Swanwick Marina in Southampton. This division is divided into two areas; Cummins MerCruiser Diesel and Cummins Marine. Cummins UK are also the sole distributor for Cummins Onan generators for the Marine Industry in the UK and Ireland. One of the largest divisions in Cummins UK is the Power Generation division. They provide essential power via generator sets to hospitals, shopping centres and other major businesss.
Cummins UK customers fall into various sectors, including end users, rental companies, dealers, OEMs, and export houses amongst others.
The business sells its products either directly to its customers or via one of over 100 key dealers throughout the UK and Ireland. These are chosen via a detailed selection process and then certified to become a Cummins dealer, with the certification process specified by the worldwide headquarters in the US.
Cummins UK recently introduced its range of ECO engines for the bus market. Blackpool Transport were the first company to take on these electronic Euro3 engines [7]
Cummins won the Edge Award for the East Midlands in 2007.[8] This award allowed Cummins UK to create a customised training facility for its apprentices at Wellingborough.