Sabre Jetting enters a new era after moving to bespoke premises
Mar 13 2018Over the last 10 months, development of Sabre’s new premises has been continuing at a pace to allow the company to move in at the end of February 2018. This has been a major undertaking, particularly coming at a time where the teams out on site are completely flat out due to the ongoing project at M5 Oldbury Viaduct. The entire building and yard have been renovated to create a base that the company and all its employees can be proud of.
One of the major factors in moving premises was to provide more space, or more accurately, more usable space. The old premises in Tyseley were split into two plots, and whilst there was plenty of square footage, the layout made it extremely difficult to store plant and vehicles. At the new premises in Lightning Way, the company will be based under one roof with room to store and work on plant within the building. Having been in just two weeks, the maintenance team have already reaped the benefits of being able to work inside, as the coldest weather in 30 years struck the country. Moving under one roof also allows for better communication and a greater feeling of integration between the maintenance, jetting and office teams. Working as a team is vital to ensure we provide an effective service to our customers.
Finding a new location for the company was not an exact science with a number of factors taken into account. For instance, the new location at Lightning Way is within a residential area with a school nearby. This could have posed a problem with regard to noise, as we often carry out UHP cleaning of dryer drum panels, or other small operations, on our site. In order to ensure we do not become a noisy neighbour, the redevelopment of the building has included the installation of a specially designed jetting bay. This room has been fitted out with triple glazed windows, full soundproofing, metal grated floor and heavy-duty extraction, meaning that our on-site works and testing will not cause a nuisance to those around us and we can continue to service the clients that utilise our facilities.
Sabre Jetting Services Ltd is committed to providing the most competent and well-trained operators in the country. To that end, the new premises has been setup with its own training room, which will be used for both in-house and external training. The facility will be available to third parties who will also be able to utilise the jetting bay for practical training. To the best of our knowledge, there is no other facility of this type in the UK. Having our own training room allows us to organise our training for weekends, meaning that we can keep our resources available to our clients during the week.
Probably the most challenging area of the new site overhaul was the upgrade of the yard. This included the installation of a new drainage system to ensure effective run-off of water (vital when using large volumes for jetting), putting in a bund area below the cleaning and refuelling bay, and last but certainly not least, the creation of ramp access into the building for the jetting vehicles. In its original state, the ramp was not suitable to allow vehicles to access the warehouse. That ramp therefore had to be demolished and a new one created. This involved the co-ordination of numerous trades and the unusual scenario where we were creating a reinforced concrete structure rather than hydro-demolishing one. However, we were able to utilise our water jetting skills at certain stages of construction in order to remove areas of concrete and to prepare surfaces with the ideal finish to receive more concrete.
A lot of thought has gone into the practicalities of the new base, with the layout and storage being considered strongly. During induction for their new place of work, the operators were given instruction for arriving back at the yard, which gave them a systematic process for cleaning their vehicles, refuelling, returning equipment and parking up. Following these processes means that equipment will be ready to go out at all times, reducing delays and minimising mistakes. In addition, the newly implemented maintenance and storage system for job specific equipment will enhance the overall package that we can offer.
One of the most important considerations regarding the new premises had to be the wellbeing of our valued workforce. With that in mind, the on-site facilities made available to the team surpass what was previously available by some distance. Whether it is the ability to work inside, the new locker room, or the brand new luxury kitchen and bathroom facilities, all needs have been catered for. The location, with great access from the M5 & M42 Motorways, will improve journeys for those coming in to work and returning from sites, and make those early morning starts a lot easier. We are certain that all our stakeholders will benefit from an even happier and more positive Sabre team.
Once we are fully settled in our new premises we will be looking to hold an open day so that our suppliers and clients can see the new facility first hand and maybe enjoy a glass of wine. In the meantime, please keep an eye on our Facebook account to see pictures of the Lightning Way redevelopment in process.
