Sortimo opens major new installation centre
The German-based company will be keeping its current base at Old Sarum, near Salisbury, but is opening a major commercial vehicle installation centre in May with a 33,000 sq ft building in Birchwood, near Warrington.
The new facility will offer a complete service for vehicle installations for all sizes of fleets, taking vehicles direct from the end of the production line through to delivering them road-ready to the end user if required.
Ian Blackburn, who has more than 30 years experience in the fleet and transport industry, has been headhunted as operations director by Sortimo to run the flagship operation with the task of helping take the company to a market leading position in the UK.
“We have a number of very important customers anxious to use our new facility and we are looking forward to the opening,” said Ian.
“Sortimo racking is all about organisation in a vehicle and it’s my intention to have an operation that will complement exactly that – a place for everything and everything in its place.
“Having set up my own installation company in the north west on a lesser scale after years in the motor industry I have the experience to go one better for Sortimo. Most people reckon on working for an employer to gain experience and then going out on their own – I just happen to be doing it the other way round and my old company is still operating successfully.
“It will feel strange competing with what I started but there is room for both even though Sortimo is on a grander scale.
“I have appointed Philip Marsden to work with me as the operations manager and he comes with a wealth of motor industry experience, too. Philip brings an immense amount of engineering and workshop management skills. He will be running a highly skilled team of vehicle technicians and will be working in conjunction with the 10-strong sales team that sales director Chris Jones controls, to work out engineering solutions to customers’ requests.
“We will arrange meetings with fleet managers and their operational staff to help determine their build specifications and any prototyping that may be required. Appointments will not be necessary for people to come along and view their vehicles during the build process. It’s very important for us to encourage this and establish customer confidence.
“The installation centre will have secure storage for several hundred vans that will ease any of the logistical issues that usually arise when receiving vehicles from different sources.
“Sortimo are clearly making a serious investment and it’s important to emphasise that the new business is not only about vehicle racking systems, but also everything that may be required in, on or under a vehicle. Anything from graphics and phone kits to solar powered auxiliary equipment, seating, and glazing can be accommodated.
“Vehicles that come here will be able to leave with everything the customer needs including PDI, registration and fuel.
“Sortimo will now be able to provide a complete bespoke service for the larger businesses right across the UK, but smaller companies will also find a welcome here and we won’t be too big to deliver for them. After all, today’s start-up is tomorrow’s big success story.”
