Rhino Products Group has announced a major £5m investment into Locks 4 Vans (L4V) to overhaul its stock, workforce, production and logistical processes.

The significant investment follows Rhino’s acquisition of the leading LCV security firm earlier this year and signals a fundamental shift away from a predominantly made-to-order model towards a stock-led operation designed to slash customer lead times.

Over the past six months, the business has been making changes behind the scenes to simplify how its products are configured, manufactured, stocked and dispatched, with a particular focus on improving product availability and speeding up order fulfilment.

By simplifying product configurations and restructuring the L4V part-code system, the company has introduced more than 2,000 combinations to cover popular lock positions and configurations. This allows L4V to pre-build and hold standard combinations in stock, paving the way for next-day dispatch.

The multi-million-pound capital injection has also funded major infrastructure upgrades at L4V’s Ellesmere Port factory. These include new warehouse racking, production and mezzanine layouts to improve stock organisation and product flow. The mezzanine production levels are served by a new lean lift tower.

At the same time, the L4V team has been strengthened across planning, production, dispatch and quality.

The business is also introducing new packaging across the L4V range, alongside clearer labelling on individual components to make products easier to identify, handle and install.

As part of the wider sustainability focus across the Rhino Products Group, L4V is also moving towards fully recyclable boxes, helping to reduce packaging waste.

Customer support is being improved too, with a new online fitting instruction portal and updated fitting instructions being rolled out across the range to reduce paper waste.

The investment forms part of the continued development of Locks 4 Vans since joining the Rhino Products Group, bringing together the resources and expertise of both businesses while maintaining L4V’s specialist focus on commercial vehicle security.

Steve Egerton, CEO of the Rhino Products Group, emphasised that the ultimate goal of the overhaul is customer satisfaction.

“The changes we’re making are designed to have a direct impact on our customers. More stock, simpler ordering, more efficient production and faster dispatch all contribute to a more consistent service.

“There is a lot of work happening behind the scenes, but the objective is straightforward: to make it easier for customers to get the L4V products they need, when they need them.”

Further improvements will continue across the operation as L4V builds a stronger platform for future growth while delivering a more efficient and reliable service to its customers.