22.10.09 Whelan Builds in Salem's Expansion

$0The new £3.5 million production and warehouse facility, adjacent to Salem Tube's current headquarters, was prompted by the increased global demand for the company's heat exchanger tubes. $0 $0The resulting building is a staggering 200m long by only 30m wide, creating the much needed space for the company's continued expansion. $0 $0Whelan was called in to deliver the project having previously completed work for Salem Tube. Given the special nature of the tubes, which are used in the oil refining and petrochemical industries, and can be up to 25m, Whelan was tasked with creating specialised premises in which to manufacture and store tubes. $0 $0Bill Swan, Technical Director at Whelan commented: "This contract was particularly interesting as we had to design and build premises specifically tailored to the storage of the tubes, which is why the building is so narrow yet so long. It's certainly the longest building we've constructed to date. It's always a pleasure to be called back to undertake more work for a Client. It's a testament to our philosophies and our dedicated staff here at Whelan."$0 $0In addition to the storage and manufacturing areas, the new building also houses an 8,000sq ft office area to the front of the building, a 5,000 sq m yard, the latest in technology as well as two ten tonne overhead cranes.$0 $0And Salem Tube was so impressed with the office layout and design concept at Whelan’s own Gosforth headquarters that they wanted to recreate the look in their new offices. $0 $0Bill commented: "It’s a huge compliment when a Client is so impressed with your own building, which in essence for a building company is the true showcase of what you can achieve, that they want to adapt the design for themselves."  $0 $0Salem Tube, which exports its tubes as far afield as Australia, India and North America, hopes that the new building will help it realise its expansion dreams by increasing its capacity and turnaround times.$0 $0Howard Ions, managing director of Salem Tube, commented: "The new building has seen us more than double in size, which means that we now have the space to not only continue our manufacturing on site, but to also store the tubes before they are exported. It also gives us the scope to branch out into other areas and to begin recruiting more skilled workers.$0 $0"There was absolutely no doubt that Whelan would be the ones to deliver our expansion plans. We were extremely impressed with the company’s previous work for us and they have only served to further affirm our faith in them by completing another outstanding job."$0 $0The new building also incorporates a number of environmental aspects, something which Whelan is setting the trend for in the region through its recent launch of a dedicated environmental department. An air source heat pump, eco insulation and an outstanding energy rating for the building are just a few of the green aspects of the new building.$0 $0Whelan also had to relocate a colony of Greater Crested Newts which had been living on the site of the new building. Special consideration was taken over the correct time to relocate the newts to a nearby nature reserve pond so as not to infringe on their natural hibernation period.$0 $0Whelan Construction is one of the longest established construction firms in the North East, having been set up in 1972. Whelan’s building experience spans across many sectors, including retail, leisure, housing, education, and industrial projects across the private and public sector.  $0 $0$0