A project this size with this level of investment requires a great deal of planning. At H+H we have been preparing and strategising for the Borough Green (B.G) upgrade for a number of years, which makes it all the more satisfying to have reached our latest milestone.
While others will be tying up loose ends and winding down for the Christmas Holidays, it’s all hands to the pump at H+H as we look forward to the upgrade. For the past eight weeks, the engineers at WEHRHAHN (our new equipment manufacturers) have been testing the new machinery at its factory in Germany before it is broken down and shipped to the UK.
So far, more than half of the equipment has been checked, re-checked and approved for delivery. It is expected that by the end of November we will have 75% of the equipment signed off for transport to our shores. Already, 10% of the new equipment has arrived in the UK and is in storage ready for installation in January.
We reached our latest milestone on November 14th during a meeting with the upgrade’s Executive project team to discuss the progress. There we considered work schedules and project timelines and sought to highlight any outstanding tasks. As a result of the meeting we satisfied ourselves that the project is on track and on time and concluded that the upgrade is Green to Go.
With that in mind, we are fully committed to our plan of closing the current plant at B.G on the December 21st 2017, when the last aircrete blocks manufactured from the current equipment will be placed in our stockyard. Over the Christmas period our dedicated teams will be working hard to complete essential dismantling tasks, removing all the old machinery and completing all civil engineering works, preparing the site for the new machinery installation starting in January 2018.
In January our engineering teams will be on site 7 days a week working alongside our project partners assembling and testing all the new equipment. The production teams will be helping with the install and as soon as the equipment is operational, essential training will begin.
With such a big operation taking place on our site, we expect an influx of contractors and staff to the site, each playing his or her role in the upgrade process. Considering this, we have implemented new Health and Safety rules which all personnel visiting our site will be expected to adhere to. It is essential that our teams work safely together, our collective target is to achieve a Zero Harm project, after all safety is everyone’s responsibility.
Those visiting our sites will have noticed that stock levels are currently higher than normal for this time of year. This is because both the Pollington factories and B.G have been working closely together building stocks in preparation for the upgrade works. Ensuring our commitment to maintaining continuity of supply to our customers during this busy period.
Years of hard work and careful planning are finally coming to fruition. With machinery from WEHRHAHN ready for delivery and personnel geared up to begin, excitement at H+H couldn’t be higher. The support that we have been given from both the Engineering and Production teams, as well as the confidence shown by our parent company in Denmark, has meant that we are on track to successfully deliver this project to schedule. Bring on the new year.