Volvo Trucks has completed the second major refurbishment of one of its wholly-owned London dealerships within 18 months – completely overhauling its London North depot, which has been the site of a Volvo Truck & Bus operation since 1994.
The Enfield-based facility, part of a 17-strong network operated by the Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East dealer group, now benefits from a remodelled office block, workshop and customer reception area.
Also key to the £3m renovation project was a strategy to eliminate 100% of the CO2 emissions produced on-site by switching from gas-powered heating to electrically operated air-source heat pumps, introducing solar panels to meet a large portion of the site’s power needs and improving overall energy efficiency through smart LED lighting.
Christian Coolsaet, Managing Director of Volvo Trucks UK & Ireland, says: “This significant investment directly supports our long-term strategy for London, ensuring Volvo Trucks is represented by a flagship facility best equipped to provide Genuine Volvo Service for both current and next-generation vehicles. At the same time, we’ve dramatically improved the site’s environmental credentials with a focus on clean energy and zero waste in landfills. Despite being one of our largest UK dealerships, it’s now also one of our most sustainable.”
Stuart Potter, Operations Director for Volvo Truck and Bus Centre South & East, says: “We looked at every possible area of the dealership, and how we could improve it – from re- configuring the space used by our admin, parts and sales teams to help improve workflows and reduce pressure on colleagues, to adding a new female locker room, as we recognise that the proportion of female technicians in our workshops is only going to keep growing.
“Even the smallest adjustments can make a tangible difference – such as better lighting in the workshop, improving safety and the quality of our work. Plus, we’ve comprehensively upgraded the shallow pit to the latest design of metal pit, with all services built-in to ensure better conditions and ergonomics for our technicians.”
Open 24 hours a day from 6am Monday until 4pm Saturday, the London North depot supports one of the most densely populated parts of the UK and some of the country’s most congested roads.
The dealership has eight vehicle bays, offers 16 workspaces, and has a dedicated Authorised Testing Facility (ATF) lane. It is staffed on three daily shifts and routinely stocks more than £1m of Genuine Volvo Parts.
