Cutting-edge power products manufacturer Powervamp has triumphed over some of the world’s biggest engineering firms to land a multi-million pound contract with Heathrow Airport.
The Weston-super-Mare-based firm is supplying an undisclosed number of its specialist Sidewinder products to the airport over the next 18 months.
Ahead of winning the contract, some rival engineering firms had claimed that the product demanded by Heathrow – one of the world’s busiest airport – would be impossible to produce.
But Powervamp’s engineers came up with the Sidewinder, which boasts a series of retractable arms housing the high-frequency power cables that are connected to aircraft while they are parked at the terminal. 
Power transfer systems are essential pieces of equipment for airports. Before designing the Sidewinder, Powervamp engineers worked alongside ground handlers at Heathrow, studying the technical difficulties they faced during rapid aircraft turn round times in all weathers.
Powervamp was also the only company able to manufacture a sample product from CAD (computer-aided design) drawings and deliver a finished prototype.
The result is a reliable product that can to be operated easily and speedily by one ground crew member – hugely important factors at a busy airport like Heathrow.
Powervamp joint managing director Richard Roller, who co-founded the business 21 years ago, said: “Powervamp has shown that an SME can outmanoeuvre the large corporates, respond faster and deliver ahead of schedule.
“A number of influential people suggested it wouldn’t be possible to build the equipment that Heathrow required. However, we listened closely to what the customer wanted and we saw first-hand what was needed.
“You don’t try and tell the engineering management at Heathrow what they should have.
“With Heathrow operating daily at 100% capacity, the management know better than anyone exactly what is required, and quality and reliability are top of the list.”
Joint managing director Ken Walker added: “This really is a major project win because it’s almost impossible to get a new product into Heathrow.
“It is completely understandable that they dare not risk disruption and delays through unproven equipment. There simply is no room for failure.”
The Sidewinder will be used at Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Powervamp has given London Heathrow a five-year warranty on the product, reflecting its confidence in its quality.
Powervamp, which also has a base in Luton, operates in 40 countries worldwide, supplying power products for sectors ranging from automotive and aviation to the built environment.
Last month it provided all ground power to the static park at the prestigious Paris Air Show for the fourth time.
The firm’s sales rose 10% last year on the back of a string of major contract wins including London City Airport, where it is supplying 10 mobile ground power units (MEGP) to replace the mobile diesel units used to power all aircraft.
The firm, which employs 51 people, has also secured high-profile contracts at Downing Street, Birmingham Airport and Waterloo Station.
Pictured: Powervamp directors with the Sidewinder
