Saint-Gobain launches HQ and distribution centre
Saint-Gobain Abrasives UK has relocated its head office and distribution centre to a council-developed business park.
Previously based at the old Universal Grinding Wheel Co. site in Doxey, the new Saint-Gobain Abrasives building, named Unicorn House, is now located on Redhill Business Park, Stafford.
A launch event showcased the new facilities which include the company’s new Centre of Excellence, testing and training facilities, customer services department and the distribution centre.
Adrian Hough, country manager for Saint-Gobain Abrasives UK, said: “We hosted this event to thank our employees and key stakeholders for all their hard work and support in making this relocation such a huge success.
“We also wanted to showcase our new customer training facilities, for which we received a great deal of positive feedback. In particular, our brand-new Centre of Excellence and training provision allows us to conduct hands-on product training in a workshop environment, demonstrating best practices and helping to improve awareness on how to use abrasives safely.
“The location of Unicorn House was chosen with improved efficiency in mind, with one of the key benefits being simplified transport routes, which enables commercial traffic to be moved away from Stafford town centre to ease congestion and pollution.”
Staffordshire County Council’s economic growth leader Mark Winnington said: “Saint-Gobain Abrasives is a long-established Staffordshire company which is providing employment for the local community at its Stafford and Eccleshall sites.
“We’re pleased it has relocated to the County Council-developed Redhill Business Park, which is now fully occupied. It will provide an ideal location for its new development, which will enable the company to build on its successes as it plans future growth.
“Redhill offers excellent connectivity, being located just off the A34 and close to junction 14 of the M6. Saint-Gobain Abrasives is neighboured by other innovative businesses on the site, together helping support the county’s continued economic growth.”
Today, in the UK & Ireland Saint-Gobain Abrasives represents a team of around 150 employees, across three sites. The manufacturing plant in Eccleshall, located on Raleigh Hall Industrial Estate, produces bonded abrasive products mainly serving the aerospace market.
The Staverton site near Cheltenham manufactures super abrasive products for applications where precision and performance are key, such as the medical, aerospace and automotive sectors.
Unicorn House in Stafford is at the heart of the UK business operations providing customer services, an extensive training area and the company’s main distribution centre that will hold UK stock, helping meet customer delivery expectations.
