Having reached full capacity at its 10,000 sq. ft head office site in Tamworth by the end of 2018, Scolmore had its sights set on another building at the same location which, at 25,000 sq. ft, would more than double the capacity for the company’s new headquarters.
The aim was to commence work in September 2019 to extend and refurbish the new building, with the relocation of all staff due to take place in early 2020.
While the building transformation went ahead – the original steel structure and roof were kept intact, and the large central atrium closed – the plans to move staff in were inevitably delayed when the first of the national lockdowns was imposed in March 2020. However, having made the decision to invest in the significantly larger new site to futureproof the company for continued growth and expansion, Scolmore found itself in the fortunate position that once restrictions started to be lifted and staff returned to work, it could very comfortably accommodate the rapidly increasing number of staff, whilst operating within the regulations required for social distancing and safe practice in the workplace.
At the same time as it expanded the footprint of the office space, the company has also dramatically increased its warehouse capacity at the Tamworth site. This investment has certainly paid off in the current climate, with the company able to hold significant levels of stock to meet the increased demand it has been experiencing for its vast range of wiring accessories and the newly launched Elucian consumer units and circuit protection products. The most recent acquisition of another 30,000 sq. ft of warehouse space brings the total square footage for the head office and warehousing facilities to 224,000 sq. ft.
Commenting on the new premises, Steve Taylor, logistics director for Scolmore Group said: “We feel very fortunate that, having made the decision in 2018 to move to larger premises to accommodate our growing business, we were able to fulfil this much needed relocation. There were inevitable delays as we dealt with the restrictions on site in the early days and then with the requirement to operate a safe and compliant workplace. All staff are now back in the office and with our increased office space everyone is able to work with a 2 metre distance between them and this is the case across every department of the business. Having invested in significantly increased premises, we will be able to comfortably add to the staffing levels as the company continues its upward trajectory.”
