17 July 2015
The Best Building 'Barr None' for Soft Drinks Manufacturing Facility
AG Barr, the soft drinks business responsible for well-known brands such as the iconic IRN-BRU, Rubicon exotic juice drinks, Strathmore spring water, Tizer and the distribution of Rockstar energy drinks in the UK, has chosen two buildings from Portakabin Hire to provide highly flexible office space inside its new manufacturing facility in Milton Keynes.
AG Barr has been making, moving, marketing and selling some of the UK's best-loved soft drinks brands for over 140 years. The company employs approximately 1,000 people and operates from nine sites across the UK with an annual turnover of £260 million in 2014. Barr's £41 million state-of-the-art production, warehousing and distribution centre at Milton Keynes operates a high-tech canning and carton production facility with the capacity to produce 400 million cans and 40 million cartons a year.
The company has now hired its second Portakabin Solus building to provide flexible office and meeting space on the shop floor for the next three years.
Both buildings were delivered in a month or less from contract award, and each has been 'wrapped' in the company's statement drinks branding to fit in with the manufacturing facility's high-tech appearance. The first building features the distinctive 'Rockstar' branding and the second is a 'Rubicon' drinks vinyl wrap. The resulting facilities are striking and lively additions to the production centre.
Commenting on the company's requirement, Tim Stacey, Factory Manager at AG Barr Milton Keynes, said, "We had a need for office and meeting space on the shop floor but because the manufacturing facility is still very new and growing, it is impossible to predict what our office requirements will be in three or four years' time. We wanted an office solution that we could extend or move around if we need to and which can be adapted to meet the company's changing needs. A Portakabin Hire building gives us far more flexibility."
"The Portakabin Hire team was very responsive and it is great to have the option to personalise the buildings with our branding. The wraps were very straightforward and complement our modern production facilities really well. We are very happy with these two buildings and with how Portakabin has helped us meet our operational needs."
Both buildings were installed inside the distribution centre in a challenging operation and without the use of any vehicles.
Portakabin Solus buildings are available to hire or buy and provide bright, self-contained executive office space for up to six people. Each building is delivered complete with data connection points, heating and lighting, and large windows to maximise natural light. It is available in a range of sizes up to 36m2 and can be linked to create larger complexes or two-storey facilities.
Vinyl wraps are low maintenance finishes which are now available for Portakabin modular and portable buildings. They are simple to install and remove, and can totally transform the appearance of a building. Strong corporate branding, company logos and eye-catching graphics designed for maximum impact can turn a facility for short-term use into a valuable market asset or statement. Murals and more subtle colour schemes can be used to blend an interim scheme into its surrounding environment and can help secure planning approval in environmentally-sensitive locations.
Other options to help integrate and equip facilities for short-term use include:
- Canopies and shelters to create sheltered waiting, social and seating zones
- Covered walkways which can be curved, high barrel, low barrel or flat
- Free-standing outdoor structures with glass, polycarbonate or coloured architectural fabric roofs for waiting, meeting or socialising
- Cycle storage
- Smoking shelters
- Street furniture such as litter bins, benches, picnic tables, bollards and barriers.
Applications for interim modular buildings for manufacturing companies are diverse and include office accommodation, meeting rooms, security buildings, canteens, training suites, and shower and changing rooms. The facilities can be supplied and installed just days from receipt of order complete with fire and alarm systems, access ramps and furnishings, and can remain in use for as long as required. Buildings provided on hire can also be funded from revenue streams, reducing capital costs and outlay.
For further information about interim buildings, visit www.portanews.co.uk, email information@portakabin.co.uk or call 0845 401 0010.
Editor's Notes
1. Building solutions from Portakabin Hire provide:
- Offices delivered with much less disruption
- A wide variety of aesthetic and fitting out options to reduce procurement time and improve working environments
- Spacious and light office accommodation
- Programme times reduced by up to 50 per cent
- Enhanced quality and a robust steel-framed construction suitable for the most demanding applications
- A sustainable alternative to site-based building methods - less waste, improved building performance and fewer vehicle movements to site.
2. Portakabin and Portakabin Solus are registered trademarks which must only be used to refer to modular buildings that are known to have been manufactured by the Portakabin Group. Please note, Portakabin is not a generic term.
