ARCHBOLD'S CENTRALIZED
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CONTROL 'by Martin
Hayes PLANNING new premises for transport, warehousing and storage is often a process beset with difficulties. All too often the limits of space, money and environment set impossible problems for designers. The Archbold Group has managed to complete its new centralized headquarters at Morley, near Leeds, without apparently being faced with these difficulties.
The origins of the Archbold Group reach back almost 50 years. Since then acquired interests include road transport, shipping and storage, vehicle sales and service and container handling. Because many of these interests were acquired by takeover the Group became spread over a wide area of Leeds. Many of these premises were hopelessly confined and outdated. In the spring of last year it was decided to go ahead with a. completely new complex of buildings which would house all the Archbold interests under one roof at Morley, a suburb of Leeds conveniently placed for access to M62, M61, Mb and MI.
Attractive buildings As well as not being limited by space or money — the new premises are on an eight-acre site and are valued at nearly £250,000 — the headquarters have been designed with the environment very much in mind. Says joint managing director Stuart Archbold: "A special effort has been made to make the buildings attractive and this h unusual in transport." In addition, during the planning stages all staff were consulted about the design of individual facilities.
Centrepiece of the new development it the 25,000 sq ft vehicle workshop. This it used for maintaining vehicles operated b) Archbold Freightage Ltd, a 40-vehidt haulage company (operating mostly Guys) vehicles serviced by Parkfield Moto] Engineers Ltd, a subsidiary which i; engaged in fleet maintenance and is a Gin repairs and parts distributor, and fo pre-delivery checks on new Guy vehicle sold by Appleyard Parkfield Ltd, ; company 50 per cent owned by till Appleyard Group.
Unusual design The design of the workshop is an unusw one. Five 301t-long pits in echelon form atio arc provided but these run into a long p which is fitted with benches where engin( or gearboxes and other major componeni can be worked on. The pits themselves at equipped with .movable hydraulic jack piped-in lubrication supplies, a wasi products ducting system and individu; heating. Electrically operated doors provic access for vehicles. There is a large par store with serving counter at one side ar an electrician's store on the other.
Management •and administrative offici — on an open-plan layoUt — are direct linked to the workshop, as is a large cantv and kitchen. The other major wing of ti development is the warehousing comple Although the one-time group subsidiar Archbolds (Storage) Ltd, was sold to ti Wm Cory Group in 1970, the Archbo Group still has interests in storage at distribution. These are linked to the Grotty shipping and forwarding business, groupal services and air freight agency. Offices fro vhich these operations are controlled are tdjacent to the warehouse.
If there is any one feature of the new wilding of which Archbold is most proud it oust be the traffic office. Built on the econd floor, this is L-shaped with good riews over vehicle parking, washing and uelling facilities, container park and aading area. To allow uncluttered working urfaces telephone dials are mounted on the dge of the work table which itself is backed ly route-planning maps. In the traffic Mee, as elsewhere in the building, ample pace has been left for expansion — a vorthwhile consideration in any new luilding development.
:overed loading area Outside the traffic office and warehouse ; a covered loading Area. This has eliberately not been equipped with a )ading dock. Mr Archbold says that there ; so much variation in vehicle height that a igid dock height can be more of a liability nan an asset. Loading is accomplished istead by fork-lift truck and by a ;opperloy loading ramp.
So far as possible the exterior of the inkling has been made to look attractive. he Morley area is basically residential and us has clearly influenced the design of the remises. When complete the site will iclude landscaped gardens and even a iuntain. Many companies might argue that ach apparent luxuries are not practicable in te current economic environment but the achbold Group has clearly recognized that se transport industry's main battle in the iture is going to be with legislation rotecting the environment and in keeping ood staff. Pleasant and attractive buildings elp on both counts.