Lord Bamford opens new Scot JCB depot
Purpose-built Edinburgh depot more than six times the size of its predecessor brings new jobs to the region
JCB chairman Lord Bamford visited Edinburgh recently to officially open Scot JCB’s brand-new, purpose-built depot. More than six times the size of its predecessor, the facility is set to bring several new jobs to the region.
Located in Sighthill, some 5 miles west of Edinburgh city centre and a quarter of a mile from the existing Scot JCB depot, the new facility follows significant investment by Scot JCB to further enhance their service to customers across the east of Scotland. New roles created by the move will include engineers, parts advisors and apprentices.
Strategically positioned near the main road network, the new Edinburgh base gives motorway access via the M8 to central Scotland and Glasgow, the M90 to Fife, Tayside and the north, and the Edinburgh bypass to East Lothian and the Scottish Borders. Ownership of adjacent plots on the industrial estate will also allow future flexibility and further growth opportunities for Scot JCB, as required.
Occupying a 1.4-acre site, with a total building footprint of more than 6,000 sq metres, the new depot allows Scot JCB to significantly enhance their on-site offering in Edinburgh. Key benefits include a huge increase in workshop and warehousing space, a training room with AV facilities, and an overhead crane which brings greater workshop efficiency and allows work on far larger plant and machinery.
Speaking at the opening, Lord Bamford said: ‘Scot JCB are one of the largest JCB dealers in the world and have continued to expand and be successful by investing for growth. This new depot will take sales and service to a whole new level and ensure the service provided to customers goes above and beyond expectations.’
Robin Bryant, joint managing director of Scot JCB, said: ‘The opening of this new, purpose-built facility is hugely exciting for us. Every aspect is bigger and better than before, and the overall impact will be a significant enhancement of the fantastic service we are able to deliver for our customers.
‘The culmination of major investment and several years of planning and development, it underlines our commitment to customers and our belief in the potential for growth in this key area of Scotland.’
He added: ‘The scale and the calibre of the facilities here will deliver tangible improvements to the availability of equipment and the speed and quality of the experience we provide to our customers.’
More than a year in construction, the purpose-built new depot is over six times larger than the one it replaces. It features four double workshop bays, automated oil and services delivery to the central workshop module, a 225 sq metre parts warehouse, sales office, training room and a huge yard for showcasing new and used equipment.
Scot JCB have supplied and serviced JCB machinery for more than 50 years, growing into a highly specialized machinery distribution business operating through a network of 17 depots from Muir of Ord north of Inverness, down to Carnforth in Lancashire.
