GEFCO UK has grown its staff fourfold at its Portbury site and increased turnover by 100% following the successful completion of an extensive overhaul project to modernise facilities and enhance the level of technical services provided to customers.
The upgrades include expansion to a 40-acre site and the development of a suite of technical services to support increased customer demand. The comprehensive new facilities have enabled the business to provide a wider range of services including increased storage capacity, access to Rail Services, moving vehicles in efficient and environmentally friendly methods, vehicle enhancement capabilities, and direct dealer delivery services.
The expanded site is also expected to import an additional annual volume of 20,000 Citroen C3 Picasso units from late 2017, and its growth has already led to it delivering a turnover of £4.5m in 2014 and £12m in 2016, with further increases forecast for the current financial year.
Richard Graves, Regional General Manager, FVL South West at GEFCO UK said: “With business at the Portbury facility thriving due to increased imports and the site reaching full capacity, we identified an urgent need to expand to accommodate further growth and diversify its service. With these enhancements, we have quadrupled the size of the team employed here and doubled the site’s turnover in the last two years, and this project means we are well-placed to continue to handle future growth.”
GEFCO Portbury is one of four UK finished vehicle logistics centres dedicated to new and used vehicle storage and value-added services, along with technical facilities for new and used vehicle preparation.
Located within the Port of Bristol, the site is a strategically important Geo-gateway to the UK and its location plays an important part in GEFCO’s role as the central controlling tower for PSA UK vehicle conversions. It was established in 2008 to store imported Peugeot and Citroen LCVs. This year will see the introduction of multi-manufacturer technical services and single car deliveries, which will provide additional project opportunities.
John Stocker, Commercial Director at GEFCO UK, said: “As the Geo-gateway into the UK for GEFCO’s key customers it was crucial that the transition involved in the Portbury project was managed efficiently. This has seen a significant return on investment and has enabled GEFCO to future-proof itself for growing demands and requirements in future. The development is a prime example of our commitment to investing strongly in operational excellence and adding value at each stage of our customers’ supply chains.”
GEFCO offers to design and implement logistics schemes alongside manufacturers, a source of added-value that strengthens their competitiveness. The performance GEFCO delivers to its customers is based on the expertise acquired over the last 65 years, particularly in the automotive industry.
