The big move!
Easter 2018 marks both the end of an era and the start of an exciting new beginning for AVSL Group as we relocate from our long-term home. Check out the VIDEO above!
Barton Dock Road
19 years, 5 months and a day will have passed since we signed the original lease for our premises at Barton Dock Road; a month and a day after the company was of officially established on 1st October 1998.
Since then, our corner of Trafford Park – neighbouring the famous Trafford Centre – has proven to be a bustling home, falling strangely quiet of late as existing tenants make way for a forthcoming development of car dealerships.
We’ve grown in numerous ways over the past two decades, not least in the size of our premises, which started as a humble 375 sq ft allotment of P&O’s export warehouse at its Manchester Containerbase.
Over the years, our housemates have included HM Customs & Excise and their cages of seized contraband, and the BBC Question of Sport set; stored here while the Corporation’s own facilities were full.
Nowadays, we occupy the building’s full 70,000 sq ft capacity, and it’s not without sadness that we bid farewell to a home that has seen us achieve so much.
The move presents us with even greater opportunities though, and we won’t be moving far!
Robson Avenue
AVSL Group has always remained loyal to its Manchester roots and we’re pleased to have found the ideal premises for our move, just a stone’s throw from the current base. Bridgewater Park on Robson Avenue borders the Trafford Centre complex too, maintaining our closeness to excellent transport links, enabling speedy distribution and ease of access for visitors and staff.
The site incorporates a main warehouse and of office building; a smaller secondary warehouse that will hold additional stock of our most popular items; and a securely fenced and gated service yard. Significant advantages include its mix of floor and truck-level entrances, and dock levellers to allow for easy exchange of goods with virtually any visiting vehicle.
Its footprint is comparable to that of our current premises, but the more modern construction will allow us to implement a narrow-aisle warehouse system with Flexi forklift trucks, increasing efficiency in terms of time and space.
Contemporary offices will improve accommodation for our sales, purchasing, marketing and managerial staff, alongside upgraded facilities for our technical and returns departments. Similarly, a purpose-designed studio will help to realise the full potential of our in-house photography and videography departments.
Work has been ongoing since December to adapt and renovate the existing setup, involving the demolition of various of office areas and outbuildings to create warehouse and yard spaces that will accommodate our needs for the foreseeable future.
Main building exterior
Overview of location
Warehouse
An investment into the future
2018 is set to be a year of milestones for AVSL Group, with our 20th anniversary to come in October.
And while it’s a time to take pride in what we have achieved so far, the move has also helped us focus on the future of the company, as Sales and Marketing Director Rachel Moran describes:
“This relocation may be less than a mile in geographical terms, but represents months of planning and consideration into how we can enhance our service, continue our growth and fulfill our vision for AVSL Group in the coming years.
More than £1m has been invested into creating a home that both enables and reflects us as a company, and one we can take pride in. We all share a great affection for the Barton Dock Road site, but equally an excitement for what the future holds.
It was of great importance to us to find a site that wouldn’t jeopardise infrastructure, service levels or staffing, and a by-product of that, of course, is that we’ve stayed true to our Manchester heritage. In fact, no one’s even suffered in terms of their commute!
We’d like to reassure customers that there will be no disruption to our service while the move takes place over the Easter bank holiday. Operations will close at Barton Dock Road at the end of 29th March and resume at Robson Avenue on 3rd April.
We look forward to welcoming you to the new site, which we’re pleased to announce will reinstate the AVSL Group showroom, showcasing exciting new products across our seven own brands.”
Our new premises at Robson Avenue (highlighted in yellow) maintain our closeness to excellent transport and distribution links
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