Aganto’s temporary buildings are regular fixtures on many UK companies’ shopping lists, with customers including Arla Foods, Britvic, E.ON, Siemens and Mini Clipper Logistics.
The founders of Aganto, Richard Abbott and Mark Hutchison, and later Andy Butters, have worked together for over 35 years, one of the longest and strongest partnerships in the industry. Over the years they have bought in other key figures from the industry to form Aganto’s highly specialised and experienced team who, between them, represent over 100 years of service within the temporary buildings and structures industry. As well as temporary buildings and internal structures, Aganto has recently launched a new retractable tunnel range and will soon be offering heating and electrical auxiliary products as well. Andy Butters, Managing Director at Aganto Ltd spoke to WLN.
Warehouse & Logistics News – Andy, what does your role in the business involve day to day and do you have direct dealings with customers regarding projects?
As a team of Directors and owners we have always prided ourselves on our hands on approach to the business and my day to day role is no exception to this ethos. These days in my role as Managing Director at Aganto my working day is both varied and interesting and my time is typically spent focusing on all areas of the business, including our very busy operations department. Aganto’s customers are King and I am lucky to still be able to enjoy direct contact with them to offer the benefit of my years of experience to provide the perfect temporary building solution.
WLN – Who else is in the commercial team besides you?
We have a very skilled and experienced commercial team here at Aganto, which gives real strength in depth and is structured to provide the best possible service to both new and old customers alike. Aganto’s team of National Sales Managers and in house sales and marketing team are positioned to react both internally and externally to clients’ needs and importantly to ease them through a seamless sales and consultation process which is service led and focused.
WLN – Where are you based? Do you cover the whole UK?
Aganto is based just outside Stoke, where our geographical location and position in relation to central road networks means that we are perfectly situated to provide temporary buildings to literally all of Great Britain, as indeed we do.
WLN – What do you see as driving the demand for temporary buildings and how do you address this as a company?
Demand for our range of temporary buildings is healthy through strong or even weak economic times, due partly to the flexibility, costs and speed of our supply to meet demand. Currently within industry our manufacturing sector is enjoying good export opportunities and this, combined with the ever increasing logistics hub which is the UK, provides a very healthy market place for our temporary buildings and service.
WLN – Why choose Aganto for a temporary building solution?
Aganto’s USP’s include our years of experience and ability to offer the best advice and solutions, commitment to our customers’ needs and requirements and range of buildings tailored to satisfy these and of course our competitive and flexible pricing structure makes Aganto a sound choice as your temporary building provider.
This message is further reiterated with our enthusiasm and hands on approach to deliver consistency from the first contact through to the handover of your building and beyond.
WLN – What different buildings and other temporary structures are in your product range? What types and size of operations are these designed to be used for?
Aganto’s temporary buildings are modular by nature and incorporate a range of widths, lengths and side heights designed to provide solutions for most applications. It doesn’t stop here however, as we also design and manufacture bespoke solutions which are tailored to more exacting requirements. Being temporary building specialists, we pride ourselves on providing needed cover for all applications. We supply temporary buildings for all kinds of applications, which include warehousing, manufacturing facilities, loading bays and canopies, workshops, fire stations, educational facilities, picking and packing areas, goods in and out facilities and much more.
WLN – Please talk us through the new retractable tunnel range. Again, what types of operations are these designed to be used for?
We are delighted to announce the fantastic introduction of a range of retractable tunnels to our product portfolio. These cost effective, fully flexible retractable tunnels are made from aluminum alloy and robust PVC to provide cover in a range of modular sizes, which can be deployed quickly and with minimum accommodation works. Available in a standard range of sizes or manufactured on a bespoke basis, the tunnels offer a sound solution for a multitude of applications either as a standalone cover/storage solution or indeed supplied with a temporary building to further enhance performance for applications such as retractable loading canopies, dock bay solutions or temporary links between buildings, to name but a few. All structural components are CE certified with flame retardency for all the PVC used and frames supplied guaranteed as standard. These tunnels, perhaps more commonly known and seen at football grounds, where they are used for players tunnels, are incredibly versatile for any kind of industrial application where temporary space is needed, perhaps on a shorter term more flexible basis.
WLN – I gather you are launching a range of heating and electrical auxiliary products. What is in the range? When will these be available?
Aganto is listening to its customers’ needs and responding to increasing level of requirement for a more turnkey solution for some applications. To this end Aganto is launching a range of heating solutions as well as a full electrical fit out service, to incorporate lighting solutions and electrical installations. We are working towards a one-stop shop and heating and lighting are frequently requested services which customers would normally have to outsource. More information on the ancillary services can be found on our website, or from our sales team.
WLN – What industry accreditations do you have as a company?
To further enhance our service and in recognition of safe working to protect our customers and employees in all aspects, Aganto is now a CHAS accredited contractor. The CHAS scheme (The Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme) was created to improve and enhance health and safety standards across the UK.
The health and safety of our customers and employees remains a constant here at Aganto and we pride ourselves on our safe and best working practices. The CHAS accreditation is something that we are proud of and sets industry benchmarks, provides assurance and reassurance and is consistent with our quality standards as a leading temporary building supplier’
WLN – Do you have any case studies and testimonials that people can see? Do you have any existing installations that people can visit?
We have an extensive library of case studies that has been populated over the years, which incorporates projects of all shapes, sizes and industry sectors. Case studies are important to us as a business as they provide real and tangible examples of solutions that we have provided for our customers. More recently we have started to work with a local film company who provide time lapse videos of our installations incorporated with interviews with customers. These videos are fantastic by way of being visually informative and are a wonderful tool of presentation for customer’s reference. Both can be found on our website or speak with our sales team.
WLN – What kind of savings do your temporary buildings offer versus permanent structures?
Temporary buildings offer an excellent alternative to that of a permanent building, the fast, flexible and cost effective solution tailored to your exacting requirements ensures a temporary building installation with typically no or minimal ground works and preparation whilst keeping your goods and people on site, negating the need for off-site solutions.
WLN – How quickly can you organise a site visit and a survey and respond with a quote?
From enquiry we pride ourselves in our fast response and the typical sales process will be made following initial enquiry by phone or online, followed by a consultation phone call to better understand the requirement so an accurate proposal can be supplied for review. Typically this would be followed up by way of a sales visit and/or technical visit to further discuss and offer informed advice on the best solution.
WLN – What’s the minimum hire period for your temporary buildings and tunnels? What’s the longest hire period for one of your structures?
The flexible terms available to hire or purchase a building are perfect for short or long term supply and in fact we are happy to provide either. The strength and robustness of our temporary buildings, combined with the semi-permanent nature of the structures make our building range ideal for the long term application.
WLN – Finally, where do you see Aganto going from here?
Aganto is very focused on the successful delivery of the next phase of our growth and development and the opportunities that our new range of products offers to our business and our customers business alike.
We remain committed to serving our customers to the upper most standards that they have become accustomed to and have come to expect from Aganto and we look forward to welcoming new clients and developing long term relationships built on trust, service and a hands on can do approach. Come and give us a try if you haven’t already, we really look forward to hearing from you.
AGANTO LTD
Tel: 01635 202979
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