Horstman Group
High-performance military suspension
Manufacturer
£30m T/O
110 employees
Founded 1913
Unlimited ambition
Horstman is a Company of the RENK group; an agile and growing business with operations in the UK, US and Canada. Providing world leading design, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, our customers benefit from our time-tested pedigree in innovation, product development manufacture and defence project management in heavy armoured, tracked vehicle suspension and gearbox/transmission systems.
Horstman led the world in the 1920’s with development of the independent suspension bogie that bears its name, and the company’s influence features on tanks and wheeled vehicles to this day. With over 170 highly skilled employees worldwide, we are a high value added, innovative engineering business with a global footprint in both customer base and supply chain.
Unlimited innovation
We provide a quality, technically excellent offering to solve customers’ problems, throughout decade’s long product lifecycles.
The defence heavy armour business has arduous development and testing cycles to ensure that the serving soldier has the best combination of armour, firepower and mobility that they deserve.
Investing in product design, cutting edge manufacturing capabilities and our skilled people, we solve the problems of today and shape the ideas of tomorrow.
Unlimited potential
We maintain an international footprint and global supply chain, providing full life support for a multitude of customers and vehicle suspension systems around the globe.
Unlimited talent
Horstman provides this balance to our customers – having built our talent base over decades from a combination of industry experts, service veterans and continuous investment in apprenticeships, graduates and training.
Horstman led the world in the 1920’s with development of the independent suspension bogie that bears its name, and the company’s influence features on tanks and wheeled vehicles to this day.
Did you know...
Bath Community
With over a century headquartered in Bath, Horstman’s workforce has deep historic ties to the local areas. We are proud to support projects at a local level. Community engagement has included hosting work experience students from local schools and technical colleges as well as Erasmus exchange.
We support the STEM agenda through engineering ambassador roles with the engineering institutions and with employees serving as volunteer school governors.
As we continue to grow and improve our business we intend to strengthen our community links as we look to build our expanded infrastructure, logistics and talent base together with the local industrial base.
Founded
Sidney Horstmann, was born in Bath and was the youngest son of a German clockmaker who moved to England around 1850.
In 1913, Horstmann founded an automotive company Horstmann Cars, later renamed to Horstman Cars. Production ceased in 1929, by which time approximately 3,000 cars had been made; work continued with gauges and timing mechanisms. Sidney was responsible for developing a patented coil spring suspension system in 1922 known as the Horstman Bogie, used on the Universal Carrier of WW2 fame and the cold war Centurion and Chieftain.
The suspension company eventually became Horstman Defence Systems and relocated from James Street West to Locksbrook road in 1966, where it continues to operate. The product range was expanded dramatically from the 1980’s onwards and today Horstman is the premiere global supplier of high performance hydro-pneumatic and hydraulic rotary suspension systems for military tracked and wheeled armoured vehicles.
Horstman became a part of the RENK AG group in April 2019.
How does Bath influence your work
Bath has a small but highly skilled technical and engineering community, is able to draw on the University of Bath and the technical hubs of nearby aerospace and automotive businesses.
Notably, Bath offers a good work life balance for employees and an interesting cultural and historical setting when our customers visit, and when we arrange off-site employee training and social events.
Where are you based?
Locksbrook Road, Bath is the main headquarters for Horstman, with growing operational sites located in the US and Canada.
Contact details
Managing Director: Ian Pain
information@horstmangroup.com
HR director: Rachael Bailey
information@horstmangroup.com