Our new plant depot is finally here

8 Sept

Estimated reading time: 2 mins

Last Friday marked a significant milestone for M Lambe Construction as we officially opened our new Plant Depot at Newton House in Birmingham.

Mike Taylor, who's retiring this year after over 30 years with us, cut the ribbon - a fitting tribute to the people like Mike who've helped us get to where we are today.

The story behind this depot goes back to our earliest days. Newton House stands on the same site as our first official office, opened in 1994. Before that, we worked out of Michael Lambe's grandparents' conservatory.

Mike Taylor cutting the ribbon as we opened our new plant depot at Newton House

Mike Taylor working from our first ever office based in Michael Lambe’s grandparents’ conservatory

Philomena and Mick Lambe Snr at Newton House on Lambe’s 30th anniversary

Modern facilities

People like Bert Moriarty, who's been with us for over 30 years, have worked without an indoor workshop throughout that time. We're delighted to have finally delivered the modern facilities he and the plant team deserve.

The new depot transforms working conditions for our 20-strong plant team. The 10,000 square foot workshop provides the plant team with indoor workspace for the first time in the company's history, alongside kitchen and shower facilities, and improved HGV access.

The new depot provides a 10,000 square foot workshop, with new office, kitchen and shower facilities, and improved HGV access.

We've also renovated the existing offices, which now house our plant administration team and provide facilities for our engineering departments.

Jeremy Stone, Procurement Director, who manages our plant operations, explains the practical benefits: "The team can now work regardless of weather conditions. Before, if it was raining, they couldn't work on machines. Now they can. It means less downtime and faster turnarounds for our clients."

The improved facilities will also help with recruiting top talent. "Try convincing someone who's worked at a Ford dealership to come and fix vans in the rain," Jeremy adds. "It doesn't exactly sell itself."

Pre-Construction Director, Vince Dillon; Procurement Director, Jeremy Stone; CEO, Michael Lambe; Finance Director, Adrian McGowan.

Construction Manager, North Midlands, Rich Smith; Construction Manager, Central, Luke O’Brien; Estimating Manager, Guy Bainbridge.

From nine to twenty

The depot opening is a marker of how far we've come. During the financial crisis, just nine people worked from our head office. Today, we have 20 people in the plant department alone.

"It's been a day of celebration and reflection," says Michael Lambe. "We've invited everyone who's ever worked from Newton House over the years."

Looking forward

For our clients, the new depot means more efficient service. Plant maintenance is no longer weather-dependent, so we’ll be able to reduce downtime by getting plant maintenance turned around quicker.

As we look ahead, the depot gives our people the professional environment they deserve.

It's part of our ongoing investment in the quality and reliability that UK housebuilders expect from us as their groundworks partner.