It's with great pleasure that we introduce a new addition to the UC team! In our new Air Brake Centre, Barry Cartwright will be joining the ranks to provide you with immediate access to an air brake specialist. Alongside Neil Castle, and his decades of Air Brake expertise, the team is now fully operational.
Why Barry?
Our MD's thoughts:
"Barry Cartwright is a major acquisition for UC and someone I've been chasing for quite a while now. He fits into our strategic plans and has the credentials, experience and character necessary to provide excellent service to our customers through technical excellence and industry knowledge."
Over 40 years in the industry
Barry started out at Fleet Parts in 1986 at the tender age of 16, first working in the warehouse and workshop, then becoming a member of the sales office, until he eventually progressed to the position of Area Sales Manager.
Around 2003 he left Fleet Parts and moved on to European Braking Systems as UK Sales Manager, although in small companies, people often take up several roles at once and he also became Sales Office Manager, Logistics Manager and Purchasing Manager. With time his interests focused more on the technical aspect of the business and later in life, he became the Sales & Technical Manager of the company, his experience being widely applied within the group's various departments.
He now joins UC with over 40 years of warehouse, sales and technical experience, all of which is now at UC's disposal!
Meet Neil Castle
Neil's career in Air Braking also began at the age of 16, when he joined Fleet Parts in Warrington (the same company Barry started with) the leading Air Brake specialist in the UK. For 15 years, he remanufactured various types of air brake valves and developed his technical expertise, learning everything about how these parts work from the inside out.
In 2000 he became the first employee of European Braking Systems, taking on roles of office manager and purchasing manager while applying his valve knowledge to convert and test components in the workshop.
He left in 2003 and became Sales and Purchasing Director of New World Air Brake where he helped to create an international clientele and supplier network and also develop the brand which became synonymous with Air Brakes. In addition, he created and put into operation a parts recognition and cross-reference website in 20 languages, which became widely used by the worldwide Air Brake specialists.
Neil has recently joined Universal Components in 2025, bringing with him 40 years of Air Brake knowledge to support our new Air Brake programme. Moreover, he is very pleased to meet a new colleague in our company:
"With the recent acquisition of Barry from EBS, UC have gained one of the most knowledgeable specialists in the whole industry. Barry is second to none with his technical knowledge and is looking forward to getting vehicles back on the road, using his skills to identify parts."
Our focus…
With Barry in our team, we are now making our Air Brake offering really solid – both in domestic and export markets. Whatever part of the world you are situated in, the Air Brake Centre now gives you immediate contact with the company's technical knowledge.
Contact the UC Air Brake Centre: Phone: 0114 261 4132 Email: airbrake@ucukltd.com
Introducing the Air Brake Centre: Barry Cartwright and Neil Castle