The move comes after 40 years of occupancy at the company's previous Minworth site.
“Thanks to the success of our support services, we had outgrown the old site,” says SMT GB regional service delivery manager Richard Baker. “A larger facility was needed in order to support our growth ambitions and to deliver the best in class service support for our customers."
At 17,227 square foot, or 1.72 acres, the new Birmingham site is 48% larger than the previous site. It features modern workshop facilities that are accessible from both sides of the building, with improved access for delivery vehicles.
SMT GB says this greatly improves onsite efficiency and ergonomics, while also increasing the workshop capacity by five times compared to the old site. The new facility has 10 workshop bays equipped with new tooling and equipment that incorporates the latest technology and safe systems of work.
“In conjunction with the increased capacity, we have recruited additional workshop engineers and continue with developing a team of apprentices onsite as well as at college,” Baker says.
The new site also features a vertical storage system, maximising floor space by 85% and providing 99.9% accuracy with increased capacity for essential parts and tooling.
SMT GB says the new site’s close proximity to several major motorways, including the M6 Toll, ensures it is able to provide better coverage to the local and national customers that the Birmingham facility serves.
The new location also provides the ability to support key current and future national infrastructure projects, such as HS2. Located at the new site are the HS2 support team, who schedule and plan service support through a dedicated team of engineers. Each engineer has a fully customised and equipped 4x4 vehicle, enabling them to travel safely onsite.
Commenting on work planned for the future, Baker says: “Our aim is to make the site carbon neutral through various improvements such as renewable energy generated onsite, waste water recycling and employing various energy saving devices. We also aim to create an eco-friendly garden by planting more pollinators in green spaces and creating natural habitats for insects, animals and birds.”
SMT GB markets Volvo Construction Equipment products, together with K-Tec articulated hauler scraper boxes, in Great Britain. It has eight Customer Support Centres, a dedicated National Used Equipment Centre and a network of utility equipment dealers providing customer support across Britain.
