Xtract

Established in 1984, the company employs over 400 highly qualified staff, including those trained through Xtrac’s award-winning apprentice and undergraduate schemes to work on global customer programmes, supplying world-class transmission and driveline products, including gearboxes, differentials, and gearchange systems. It exports around 70 per cent of its manufacturing output to Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and the US.

Xtrac has won numerous awards for its apprenticeship and undergraduate training programmes, with one in seven employees starting with the company as an apprentice or undergraduate. Indeed, its first-ever apprentice Simon Short, who joined the company in the early 1990s, now holds a senior role in Xtrac’s North American operations. A third of the apprentices and undergraduates trained over the past 30 years remain with the company.

In 2017, Xtrac was subject to a successful buyout by UK-based Inflexion Private Equity, supporting the senior management team and Employee Benefit Trust. Its award-winning share scheme was established in 1997 when then managing director Peter Digby led an inspiring management buyout that included all employees. Working with government, industry and academic bodies, Xtrac’s apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate training, and tailored personal development are available for all staff members.

Xtrac works mainly with the high-performance automotive sector alongside its traditional heartland of the motorsport industry. Customers of its high-performance automotive and motorsport business sectors rely on its specialist expertise, augmented by the company’s substantial investment in research and innovation supported by advanced design, engineering and manufacturing resources.