A COMMERCIAL vehicle body builder, set up when a failing firm was bought for £1 six years ago, is on target to achieve a £6m turnover.

CPD Bodies of Stockton recently won a £1m six-month deal to provide vehicle bodies for Luton vans, tippers and dropside trucks from its own self-built Praevia range to the giant United Rental Group.

It means CPD will treble its turnover in just two years as it continues its rapid expansion.

CPD Bodies launched in 2009 when owner Cathal Doocey, then aged 25, bought a failing business for a nominal £1, inheriting the existing plant, machinery and one member of staff.

Having recruited 25 staff in the past 12 months, the thriving business now employs 72 which should rise to more than 100 over the next four months.

CPD’s team of time-served welders, mechanics and designers manufactured 2,000 commercial vehicle bodies over the past 12 months for customers across the UK and Ireland.

With orders "flying in" that figure is expected to increase to 3,500 over the next 12 months. New workshops and offices are being built to cope with demand.

Mr Doocey, 31, is also looking to recruit more level 2 welders and auto electricians to his fast-expanding team.

He said: "I want CPD to be the biggest and best commercial vehicle body builder in the UK. We’ve come this far so quickly via a commitment to going the extra mile. It’s our service offering that’s made us stand out from the crowd.

"In an industry where too often the body builder dictates the delivery times, we deliver in the timescale the customer requires. If you need it for that date then that’s when you’ll get it.

"We’ve grown the business by being honest and doing what we say we’re going to do, ensuring we give top quality every time."

The firm is based on Bowesfield Lane and includes Northgate Vehicle Hire and national vehicle hire firms SHB, Dawson and United, among its biggest clients. It also makes commercial vehicle bodies for Mercedes and Ford.

Last year CPD developed and launched its own vehicle body range, Praevia – Latin for leading the way.

Mr Doocey said: "As well as boasting market-leading payloads, the range is lighter, more robust and cheaper than established alternatives. We saw the gap in the market and it’s already proving a massive success."

His previous business experience was with Doocey North East Ltd, his father's civil engineering firm.

Having recently given 12 apprentice welders full-time contracts, he gets most satisfaction from creating jobs.

He said: "I was delighted when we achieved a £300,000 turnover in our first year. Now we’re doing £120,000 a week – that’s £5.76m in the last year, up from £3.4m last year and £2m the year before.

"The best thing about it is we’re giving employment to local people. That’s the best thing about running the business, hopefully we can recruit many more in the future."