NATIONAL Windscreens has opened a £1 million regional distribution centre.
The new 43,000sq ft facility is based in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. National Windscreens says it will supply the company’s network of fitting and Advanced Driver Assisted Systems (ADAS) calibration centres throughout East Anglia and the North of England.
The distribution centre includes 23,000 sq ft of ground floor storage and a further 20,000 sq ft of a mezzanine, with specialist racking and storage for thousands of glass options covering the majority of vehicles currently on the road.
More than 30 jobs have been created as a result of the investment in the region, joining additional mobile technicians and other key support staff who have been employed over the past three months.
The investment by National Windscreens is part of the company’s commitment to maintaining the UK’s largest fitting and ADAS calibration network of 108 centres and more than 800 mobile technicians.
Pete Marsden, Managing Director of National Windscreens said the increase in vehicle windscreen variations was a factor in the investment
National Windscreens reckons that between five and 10 windscreens are often available for a single vehicle model.
“A combination of significant market growth and the development of windscreen and ADAS technology means we need more storage for glass replacement parts,” said Marsden.
“Modern vehicles incorporate a series of options on most models. Each of these options requires a specific windscreen variant. For example: acoustic glass; ADAS camera; demisting sensor; heads up display; heated; tinted; and multi sensor are just some of the choices available for each model and each requires a specific type of windscreen.
“You then have advancements in technology being introduced into new vehicle makes and models, and that could mean a new camera type or sensor becoming available that requires a new variant
“This means another type of windscreen is developed and so for one model up to ten variations is common place, and in some cases this can be over 30. If you multiply that by the number of manufacturers and models you are looking at very significant glass stock numbers.”
In the face of this massive choice, National Windscreens has developed a unique windscreen selection system that makes sure the right glass is selected for a vehicle in 99.9% of cases. The new distribution centre then helps to ensure this glass is delivered to where it is needed in the quickest possible time.
National Windscreens says that it is on average never more than 20 minutes or 11 miles away from a business motorist.
