JCB Chairman Lord Bamford has today officially opened a brand new Scot JCB depot in Edinburgh – over six times the size of its predecessor - which is set to bring several new jobs to the region.
Located in Sighthill, approximately five miles west of the city centre and a quarter of a mile from existing Scot JCB depot, the brand new facility follows a massive investment by Scot JCB to further enhance its 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. Its ownership of the adjacent plots will also allow future flexibility and further growth opportunities for Scot JCB as required.
Occupying a site of 1.4 acres, with a total building footprint of over 6000m², the new depot enables Scot JCB to significantly enhance its on-site offering in Edinburgh. Key benefits include a huge increase in the workshop and warehousing space available, a training room with AV facilities and an overhead crane which brings greater workshop efficiency and enables operation on far larger plant and machinery. JCB Chairman, Lord Bamford said:
Scot JCB Group Joint Managing Director, Robin Bryant said: “The opening of this new, purpose-built facility is hugely exciting for Scot JCB. 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.
“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.”
Over 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 225m² parts warehouse, sales office, training room and a huge yard for showcasing new and used equipment. It shares the long-established industrial estate with a variety of major organisations including: Scot JCB’s own customers GAP Plant & Tool Hire and Jarvie Plant along with leading motor retailers such as Arnold Clark, Evans Halshaw and Lookers.
Scot JCB has supplied and serviced JCB machinery for over 50 years, growing into a highly specialised machinery distribution business operating through a network of seventeen depots from Muir of Ord north of Inverness, down to Carnforth in Lancashire.