Warehouse labelling and safety solutions provider completes successful fit-out at Great Bear’s new Sheffield site.
Background
Great Bear is one of the UK’s leading 3PL companies, providing nationwide dedicated and shared user warehousing and distribution solutions for international and blue chip clients.
Managing over 4.5 million sq ft of warehousing and operating a large modern commercial vehicle fleet, Great Bear has built up a reputation within the industry as a switched-on and innovative operator.
Requirement
Great Bear’s commitment to sustainable expansion has been reflected in recent years with the opening of new sites including Northampton providing 475,000 sq ft, Chorley in Lancashire providing 230,000 sq ft and Bromborough in Merseyside providing 170,000 sq ft, amongst other Great Bear new site projects.
With ongoing expansion across the company in recent years, Great Bear needed a warehouse labelling and safety solutions provider that could complete projects cost effectively and to schedule.
As a reputable and reliable company with past experience working at Great Bear, ASG Services played a key role as supplier and installation expert for equipment fit-outs of Great Bear’s existing and new depots. Most recently, this included work at the new site in Sheffield, completed in late 2014.
Great Bear had no hesitation in approaching warehouse solutions specialist ASG, given the strong history of successful work completed on previous sites. Chris Bell, Facilities Manager at Great Bear, provides support to all company depots on all facilities management matters.
Chris explained: “ASG has carried out works for us on several new depot ‘fit outs,’ and also some existing depots. These generally included the supply and installation of protective barriers – both vehicle and pedestrian type, and line-marking internally and externally.”
Great Bear’s main contact for labelling and signage on the project, Ian Gummerson, was also a key project manager and liaised with Russell Bobin at ASG throughout the process.
Solution
Following initial contact with ASG, Great Bear liaised with the warehouse solutions provider to undertake a competitive tender/quotation process for supply and install projects, specifically at Great Bear’s new Sheffield site depot.
Russell Bobin, UK Sales Manager at ASG, explained how the Sheffield site was a big project to undertake. The scope of work at the Sheffield warehouse included installation of Armco hand barriers and safety systems, line-marking, signage and barcode labelling. Overall, the project timescale was phased around 8-12 weeks’ worth of work, including return visits and working on different components of the job.
Outcome
“Works undertaken by ASG on our projects have been completed safely, and in line with the project programmes in both unoccupied and live working environments,” said Chris Bell at Great Bear. All supply and installation project works at the Sheffield warehouse were completed as per agreed charges and orders.
For ASG, the Sheffield site project helped strengthen their working relationship with Great Bear through ensuring the work was completed on budget and in time. It also demonstrated the benefits of working with a professional company, such as Great Bear, that meant all aspects of the project ran as smoothly as possible.
“Working with Chris Bell and Great Bear has been great,” said Russell. “There’s never been any ambiguity, and a professional crew were provided to help out, which ensured everything went to plan.”
The warehouse racking and labelling specialist was also very strict at adhering to the project programme, alongside safe working procedures and working to agreed costs – factors which ensured the installation went smoothly as possible.
“We found the main benefits of working with ASG was their proactive approach to and working with all members of the design and project teams on site at Sheffield,” said Chris.
For Russell Bobin at ASG, the outcome of the successful installation was two-fold for Great Bear: “From an operational point of view, when ASG installs reliable and appropriate safety systems, such as marshalling lanes and barriers, combined with line marking for walkways, it ensures the safety of the warehouse workers comes foremost.”
He continued: “The second benefit comes from properly installed signage to help effective product picking, loading and unloading of deliveries. Essentially, effective safety systems are vital for the smooth running of the operation and the health and safety of the people working there.”
ASG has high praise for Great Bear, and is thrilled with how successful the project has been: “Great Bear is a good role model, and the company was very professional to deal with providing excellent detailed plans that helped us to work and complete the installation efficiently,” concluded Russell Bobin.
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