Finning (UK), the sole trader distributor of Caterpillar equipment in the UK, has announced major plans to extend its multimillion pound National Materials Handling Centre, in Crannock, Staffordshire.
The company’s decision to plough further investment into its Midlands’ state-of-the-art facility follows its £96million acquisition of Lex Harvey in April this year which significantly boosted Finning’s presence in the UK market.
The expansion plans at Crannock will see an additional 5,580sq m office accommodation being built on the existing nine-acre site, and also create 30 new jobs. When work is completed in May 2004, the expanded facility will house some 200 employees including sales, parts, service, short team rental and technical terms.
According to Tom McCloy, Finning Materials Handling’s divisional director, the investment will ensure that Finning is well-placed to deliver service excellence to its customers. “Bringing Lex Harvey into our existing infrastructure has certainly provided a challenge during the last few months. However, the acquisition of Lex made clear our intentions to the market that we have major ambitions to develop our position and standing within the UK fork lift market. The scale of the operation will ensure that we can continue to provide outstanding customer value and lead the industry with service excellence.
“Our plans to further extend the already impressive national handling centre are testament to the company’s ambition and determination to reinforce its position within the market place. As a company, we are all well-placed for future strong growth, both organically and by acquisition, and want to increase out market share in 2005.”
