Warehouse Expansion at SWS UK

Staff at SWS UK were in high spirits in October when they celebrated the opening of their new warehouse with a tour of the operation and culinary delights.

Workers were invited to enjoy a hog roast, branded cupcakes and an array of fizzy pop to commemorate the extra square footage of the business.

The new warehouse was opened due to growth in sectional doors since the launch in 2017, along with the continued rapid growth of steel security shutters and industrial roller doors. 

Adding an additional 344 sqm footprint to the Lancaster site, the extra production space will enable the business to continue to grow and improve their product lines with automation in one of the four operational buildings.

The new warehouse is currently being used to store SWS garage door and shutter components from brands such as Somfy, GFA and NRG.

There is also the option to grow this extra space further when required.

Production Manager, Mick Speight, said: “Whilst doing this, we wanted to implement the Methodology of 5S and Lean Principles to make the movement of stock afterwards as efficient as possible.

“This included training the full warehouse team to Yellow Belt Six Sigma Standard by our in-house training team.”

SWS had been considering the expansion for around five years, but it was the recent accelerated growth in the sales of industrial and sectional garage doors that spurred them into making further provisions.

The contract for the warehouse was signed in March 2018 and work began on creating the new roadway and entrance doors a month later.

Kevin Lindeque, Managing Director of SWS UK, said: “We have been considering this expansion for some time now, but it’s down to a real team effort that we began putting things in motion this year.

“It’s an exciting time for the company, and it’s been great to celebrate as a full team.”

Inside, the market-leading manufacturer installed new racking, electrics, office and network points and moved the stock across into its new location.

Operations Manager, Martin Fletcher, added: “The opening was a really good event. It was an exciting time to see all the hard work over the past six months pay off.

“We want all staff to feel a part of our growth plans so wanted to celebrate this with them. Getting this extra space will make a big difference to our production capabilities and future output.”

By expanding their operations, SWS UK will be able to house more stock to keep up with their quick turnaround time.