GeoPost UK invests new workshop facilities
Parcels company invests over Pounds 2m in new Birmingham workshop facilities to service its expanding trailer fleet.
GeoPost has bucked an industry trend by investing Pounds 2.1m in an in-house maintenance facility for its Birmingham fleet. The seven-acre site, near to its West Midland hub, now comprises ten bays. Prior to this the company had a smaller on-site workshop, but sub-contracted the work to an outside party. Director of technical and engineering services Chris Ogg says: “This decision is a vote of confidence in an in-house maintenance regime at a time when many fleets are outsourcing this type of operation. “We believe a well-managed in-house operation will pay dividends in terms of quality, cost and added value on a site of this size.” He goes on to explain that one of the key reasons for the decision to invest in the site was to support its 280-strong fleet of double-deck trailers, currently the largest in the UK. He sees it as the best way of protecting this major investment. According to Ogg, one of the biggest challenges of operating an in-house maintenance scheme is finding the staff. He says: “People have to want to work for you, and to achieve this you have to offer them the right package. This includes good working conditions, a decent fleet and good training facilities. “Good people are harder to find these days, so employers have to work harder to find them.” GeoPost also runs its own MoT station, which currently has the capacity to inspect 2,500 axles per annum.
