NEWS CROWN PAINTS LOOKS TO THE FUTURE WITH NEW WAREHOUSE IN HULL C
rown Paints has commenced work on a new state-of-the-art raw material and packaging warehouse facility at its Hull manufacturing base. The warehouse, which will be located at Crown Paints’ Sculcoates Lane site, represents a £4.4 million investment by Crown Paints, and will create an additional 4,265 sq m of storage space for raw materials and packaging. Construction is ongoing, with the facility expected to be complete in July 2021. Crown Paints’ operation in Hull is the company’s major UK water-based paint production site. The new facility will allow the paint manufacturer to consolidate its operations from several older buildings into one modern facility – and allows Crown to repurpose these existing buildings to accommodate future growth. The building of the new warehouse underlines Crown’s commitment to its UK production, both at this site in Hull and at its headquarters in Darwen, Lancashire.
Commenting on the new facility, Crown Paints’ Hull site manager, Jonathan Fewster, said: “The new warehouse will create much-needed additional storage space for raw materials and packaging, which will effectively allow us to increase our manufacturing output and improve efficiencies at our Hull site. “What’s more, the new building will have better sustainability credentials, which is an important consideration for us as a company. This represents a significant investment in our manufacturing capability, and is a demonstration of our company’s commitment to the long-term future of our facility in Hull.”
Universal Robots launches vast online knowledge bank U
niversal Robots (UR) has established a free online knowledge bank to ensure more organisations can maximise the potential of their collaborative robots (cobots). The content, containing on-demand webinars and articles created throughout 2020, means organisations can now automate processes more efficiently, effectively and with minimal investment. The library of webinars and articles covers subjects from a wide-range of applications and industries, from how to automate specific processes, to more traditional manufacturing challenges – like health and safety. The repository also covers emerging sectors where automation is currently underutilised– like Coronavirus laboratory testing
facilities. Furthermore, many of the webinars have been produced in a range of languages to accommodate the company’s global customer base. The extensive schedule of webinars was originally conceived by Universal Robots to ensure new and existing customers retain the same standard of support as pre-pandemic levels. But the library now serves as a comprehensive ‘how to’ guide for common automation challenges. Mark Gray, UK sales manager at UR, commented on the announcement: “As we’re still in the midst of the pandemic, and with the Brexit transition period nearly at an end, our support has never been more crucial to help our customers navigate this truly unprecedented period of
LOGISTICS UK REPORT EXAMINES COVID-19 IMPACT ON INDUSTRY T
he logistics industry stepped up to deliver for the nation in 2020, despite facing a worsening shortage of HGV drivers, economic and financial hardship, and significant disruption to operations, according to Logistics UK. The business group has launched its Covid-19 Logistics Report 1, which provides a detailed overview on how the pandemic has affected logistics businesses and the steps they have taken to overcome these challenges. “Despite facing significant operational and financial disruption since March 2020, the logistics industry has stepped up to ensure it continues to supply the nation with the goods it needs, including food supplies and PPE,” says Elizabeth de Jong, the organisation’s Director of Policy. “The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted how critical our industry and its people are to the success of the economy; Logistics UK is proud of the way in which its member businesses, and the wider industry, have worked together to service the needs of the nation during this critical time. In the early stages of the Covid-19 restrictions in March 2020, 85 per cent of respondents to Logistics UK’s Covid-19 surveys reported a general business downturn, with work and orders cancelled. This reduced to 60 per cent by the end of May, with supply chain disruption since easing further. The report also highlights that delivery times have improved due to less congestion as a result of fewer cars on the road compared with normal levels.
www.logistics.org.uk/compliance-report-1 T
DHL supports Holland and Barrett online sales with Pop Up fulfillment centre
disruption. This new repository of webinars, alongside the existing Universal Robots Academy, means that our customers now have access to an incredibly valuable resource for optimisation. By investing a small amount of time, organisations can quickly begin improving the efficiency of their cobots, increasing productivity and the quality of production – with minimal investment and manpower required.” Webinar topics include:
Using Cobots in the Pharma and Medical Device Sector. Automation: If not now, then when? Sanding and polishing. Packaging & Palletizing with Cobots. SME Automation Month.
https://events.universal-robots.com/ Thorite unveil their brand-new UK Headquarters
horite, the UK’s leading independent specialist of pneumatics, air compressors and fluid handling equipment have now moved from their old Laisterdyke, Bradford address, to their brand-new UK Headquarters as of Monday 4 January 2021.
Excitement had been building for some time within Thorite, seeing their future plans come to life, which allows for further expansion and further organisational improvement in current working practices and techniques. The New HQ, conveniently located close to the centre of Bradford, highlights why the move was required where Thorite has grown to the point where space was constraining the services provided for their loyal customer base. Now, with a fully functioning showroom, trade counter and specialised services under one-roof, Thorite can provide these customers with even greater service, support and value.
The new, purpose-built 44,000 sq. ft Headquarters and Bradford Sales & Service Centre houses £6 million of compressed air and fluid power stock from world-class brands, compressor plant purchase, hire and rental, expert technical advice, systems design and installation, comprehensive aftersales support and specialised training courses.
Thorite can now offer ample free parking too, to further enhance customer’s experience when they visit - which was always an issue at Laisterdyke.
www.thorite.co.uk FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS | DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021 5
Hull-based construction company Hobson & Porter is the main contractor on the building, and will be overseeing the construction project throughout. Richard Hunter, Hobson & Porter’s managing director, said: “The new Crown Paints facility will be a fantastic investment for our region and will see increased manufacturing and production outputs at an already thriving site here in Hull.
“It’s great to see two local businesses with a proud heritage coming together to deliver new facilities in the area and demonstrating a commitment to the production and manufacturing sectors.”
www.crowntrade.co.uk
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