HM Plant announces £5m HQ plan

HM Plant, the UK distributor of Hitachi Construction Equipment, has announced plans for a new £5m headquarters in Newcastle upon Tyne and the closure of its current base in Bridgewater, Somerset.
A new 3ha purpose-built super-depot is currently under construction. This will house some 60,000m2 of storage, technical and administrative facilities.
"This relocation is essential to our continued expansion," said John Jones, HM Plant chairman. "With an increase in projected sales volume over the next 10 years, we had to find the best strategic position for a new site," he said.
One of main factors in the move was the opening of Hitachi's new factory near Amsterdam in the Netherlands. "The Port of Tyne offers excellent sea links to Dutch ports and has a full range of cargo amenities such as roll-on, roll-off facilities and heavy load points," Jones said.
HM Plant said it would continue to operate its network of regional depots in the UK, while its Bridgewater base will close when the new headquarters opens in late 2004.
Meanwhile, the company's South West base will relocate
to Bristol.