E.C.D. Automotive Design (E.C.D.), a builder of custom and restored bespoke Range Rovers and Defenders, has opened a new headquarters facility in Kissimmee, Florida, and its first international logistics center in the U.K., the company announced.
E.C.D. was founded in 2013 and was initially located in a one bay warehouse. After years of growing its staff, refining the build process, delivering perfection and growing into a multi-million-dollar company, the company looks to expand its offerings to more customers, the company said, and in 2020, experienced exponential growth and saw a major spike in demand for its custom Defenders and Range Rovers. E.C.D.’s new facility and international logistics center will allow for the craftsmen and technicians to meet the demand the business faces and complete more one-of-one builds while maintaining the quality-controlled 2,200-hour build process.
E.C.D.’s move to the new 100,000-square-foot facility will streamline two production lines into a push-forward manufacturing model allowing it to finish 100 one-of-one vehicles a year, the company said. Custom vehicles in production come in one end of the facility and out the other as they move through different stages of development on the service line. The production line will be tailored to meet the needs of the team. From engine installation, to paint and upholstery, each team will be designing its workspace layout, storage and enhancements, which the company said will enable a more efficient, expedited process while also maintaining comprehensive and meticulous attention to detail that is unique to E.C.D.’s luxury brand.
“While we now have a bigger, shinier and newer Rover Dome, the culture and DNA at the core of E.C.D. remains the same as when we first started out with three guys in one shed,” said Tom Humble, co-founder of E.C.D. “It was important for us to stay close to Kissimmee and preserve our talented family of 52 automotive misfits. The same employee who built the very first engine at our original location will also be building the first engine at the new facility.”
In addition to the quicker production of bespoke vintage Defenders and Range Rovers, the facility will also have a simulated off-road track suitable for test-driving each vehicle’s capabilities. The company’s warehouse capacity will nearly double, allowing for the storage of more U.K.-imported Land Rover chassis and base vehicles. The design and sales facilities for the customers will also be improved and an attached Driver’s Club facility will meet any and all post-sale client service needs, ranging from storage to maintenance and upgrading. Customers may also visit the clubhouse to meet other fellow E.C.D. drivers and take part in special members-only events.
The opening of the first logistics center in the U.K. will allow the E.C.D. team to fully control the production process without subcontracting any elements of the business model. By sourcing the base inventory overseas, it will allow E.C.D. to keep every step of the build under its own umbrella while increasing quality control, value and shipping logistics – a major hurdle many companies are working to overcome, the company said. The logistics center is slated to open later this year.
“Time and quality control are the bread and butter of the E.C.D. culture and by opening a logistics center in the U.K. we will now be able to consistently feed our technicians with the high-end materials they need to meet the increasing demand without losing the quality of the end product,” said Scott Wallace, co-founder of E.C.D. “The DNA of the U.K. model is well-rehearsed in the U.S. and now we will have a global team with one objective – build the coolest custom Defenders and Range Rovers on the planet.”
