Where to Locate Your Manufacturing Building
GETTING THE RIGHT AREA
While it may be tempting (and necessary) to look for low-cost premises in a low-cost area, that can’t be the only consideration. For example, does the area have people with required skills, both now and in the future? If the area has active links with education and training sectors, this may also be appealing from a skills point of view.
What are the transport links like? What are tax implications? It’s also important to consider what financial support from local authorities might be available and whether there are incentives to locate in a regeneration area or Enterprise Zone. These are all factors that can affect the viability of creating a new manufacturing base.
FINDING THE RIGHT BUILDING
A decision on the building will be driven by what you manufacture and what you might manufacture in the future. For example, if it’s a product that requires a lot of power to make, test, and supply you will likely need a building that runs off three-phase power. You will want to know if this can be facilitated before you make any decisions.
The size of the product and machinery will also dictate how much warehouse and racking space you need, and hence the size of building. These are significant considerations that need to be investigated early in the process.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
It’s easy to become pre-occupied with the amount of space when looking for a manufacturing base, but don’t forget about the infrastructure and physical attributes of the building itself. For example, find out whether the existing telecommunications systems are suitable and whether they can support the increasingly automated manufacturing environment.
It’s also important to consider the shelf-life of the building and whether it could be upgraded cost-effectively in the future. This is especially important considering new rules coming in which will require new buildings to have minimum energy efficiency standards. Also, find out what condition the floor is in and test whether is it strong enough to withstand new use, such as forklift and lorry traffic. Can it be adapted and can you continue to trade while this happens?
HAVING ENOUGH SPACE TO GROW
Faced with an urgent need for more manufacturing space, it’s easy to overlook the future requirements of business when looking for somewhere to locate your factory premises.
But will the premises you’re purchasing give you enough room if you suddenly need to upscale production? Is there sufficient office space accompanying the shop floor and enough car parking provision for staff? If you need to downscale, would you be able to rent out areas of the building to other businesses? At some point in the future you may also want to extend the premises. Assess whether there is adequate space to do this and whether It’s possible from a Planning perspective.
THE NEW-BUILD OPTION
If you’re a highly specialised manufacturing businesses, designing a new factory bespoke to your needs may be the most attractive and cost-effective option. New-build factories often allow businesses to make significant cost savings by having more efficient buildings and allowing outdated and underused property assets to be sold off. Working with a team of industrial architects will give you a factory design that’s fit for your future manufacturing requirements.
Written by Zoe Hooton, Director At HPA.
HPA specialise in designing buildings for a wide range of sectors, including food manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and commercial offices. To explore our range of manufacturing projects, click here.
