There are few faster methods of getting a marketing message across than using motor sport — with the names of sponsors on cars, clothing, merchandise and at track-side.

And it is an area in which one local company has been able to find a niche.

Childrey, in the Vale of the White Horse, is the home of Brick Kiln (UK), a car paintwork and graphics specialist, and the preferred supplier to many top teams in sectors from Formula One to touring cars and motorcycle racing.

The Brick Kiln Group has three divisions: Brick Kiln Racing and Brick Kiln Graphics are based at Childrey, and the most-recently established, Brick Kiln Composites, at Croughton, Northamptonshire. Together they employ more than 40 staff.

Owners James Matthews and Hamish Wood have combined their complementary skills, gained in other engineering backgrounds, to form a company which was established in 1988.

For Mr Matthews, 49, the interest began on his father’s farm, on the Berkshire Downs.

He explained: “Having grown up there I would have been expected to join in eventually with running the farm. However, my interest in car body repairs, paintwork and general mechanics as a young man quickly evolved into a serious venture.

“At the beginning, I was mainly restoring tractors and old cars, but following a request for help from a Formula One team, this aspect of the business began to take off, and I knew I needed someone else with specialist knowledge to make it a success.”

That person was Hamish Wood. He had recently decided to move on after completing an apprenticeship at a garage in Faringdon.

Through a mutual acquaintance he was introduced to Mr Matthews and accepted a job with the then G C Matthews and Son.

“We perfected our skills by learning from the masters, one of whom was Michael Church, with whom I had worked at Faringdon,” said Mr Wood.

“The demands from the Formula One world are the most stringent you can get, so if they are happy with our work, we know we cannot improve a job.”

The precision required in applying paint and graphics to a car matches that of every other stage of its development. Too much paint adds weight, and so affects its performance. Achieving the correct balance is a delicate process.

Brick Kiln is involved not only in the pre-season preparation of cars, but also ensuring they are ready for every race. There is a complex programme of preparation in the workshops before each component is ready to receive its base colour.

Mr Wood, 47, explained: “One small component may require up to five separate colours to be applied, all in the same place every time. When the colours have been applied, the panel is finally checked and a clear lacquer coat applied.

“The dry panel then enters the final stages of the process, which involve the hand-finishing of each component to ensure a high-quality finish with no surface imperfections and a high-gloss shine.

“Each completed part is individually wrapped for protection and returned to the customer in accordance with the required schedule.

“The processes we use are very time-consuming and require a high level of skill from all the staff involved. We work as a team to make the most of individual strengths.”

Brick Kiln Graphics makes up the designs required, using graphics software and special vinyl-cutting machines to create the patterns to be applied to the car.

Mostly, these represent the logos of the sponsors, and here the art is to create a synergy between the detailed shape of the car and the prominence of the logos and images.

While the racing teams are dependent on their sponsors, they cannot design a performance car around advertising space. So here, too, there is a delicate balance to be achieved.

Brick Kiln Composites was set up in 2005. It was through their involvement in paintwork and graphics for Formula One that Mr Matthews and Mr Wood became aware of the market for carbon-fibre components, not only in motor racing, but also for growth industries such as security, medical equipment and leisure.

Having identified these opportunities, they now manufacture carbon-fibre components such as mirrors, drivers’ pedals and electronic boxes for F1 engine-management systems.

For the wider market they produce tamper-proof boxes for high-specification security systems, and other design prototypes.

A recent merger with another local company, Falcon Signs, formerly in Grove, has brought further opportunities by accessing a broader customer base for signs and graphics.

Falcon Signs had served businesses in Oxfordshire for more than 20 years and had an extensive, established clientele.

To develop this side of the business further, Mr Matthews and Mr Wood have invested in new production equipment that will enable them to offer lower prices and faster turnaround.

Successful as the company is, Brick Kiln is required to keep a relatively low profile, for the world of Formula One is one of high confidentiality surrounding all aspects of car design. Discretion is a must for every supplier.

Mr Wood said: “That means our work comes mainly from word-of-mouth contacts.

“But we are keen to grow the business into other areas, so we are starting to promote our skills — without mentioning names or references.

“We have been called the best-kept secret in the industry. It is a tricky balance when all you want to do is shout from the roof tops.”

Name: Brick Kiln (UK) Established: 1988 Owners: James Matthews and Hamish Wood Number of staff: 41 Annual turnover: Confidential

Contact: 01235 751647 Web: www.brickkilngroup.com