Offsite modular specialist M-AR has completed the purchase of its existing manufacturing facility in Hull, further strengthening its position and ensuring it can keep pace with current demand as well as preparing for future growth in the offsite construction sector.
M-AR, which describes itself as a ‘contractor with a factory’, is currently embarking on a significant programme of growth underpinned by continuous re-investment into the business, including purchasing new equipment, hiring more staff and undertaking innovative training programmes. The recent purchase of its dedicated 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility, which is valued at £3m and can produce around 400 modules per year, is a key part of this plan.
Through its strategic investment to date, the offsite manufacturer has steadily increased its production capacity to deliver high quality modular construction solutions which meet the needs of low carbon builds for the residential, education, and commercial sectors.
The move from leased to purchased facilities, as well as bolstering its asset book, gives M-AR total control over its premises enabling the team to make any necessary adjustments to the layout to better suit its processes and bring greater production efficiencies. In fact, plans are already underway to increase the factory’s usable production space as demand is forecasted to continue to increase going forward. Ultimately owning its own factory gives M-AR the space to expand in direct response to its growing order book.
This move also marks M-AR’s commitment to, and investment in, its home city of Hull, where the company has been based since it was set up in 2007. Where traditional construction relies on large teams of temporary subcontractors located around each site, for M-AR the majority of its workforce is based in the factory. By purchasing the site, M-AR is able to offer greater job security for current staff while also being able to offer more permanent and subcontractor roles for the local community around Hull.
Ryan Geldard, Director at M-AR said of the investment: “This is another major step for us as part of our ambitious five-year growth plan. As well as giving us complete control over our own manufacturing facilities going forward, it gives our staff and clients reassurance that we see further growth opportunities in the offsite construction market. This is another positive chapter for us, which demonstrates both our long-term commitment to the industry as well as to our local community of Hull. This investment puts us in a strong position for project delivery as we look ahead to 2023.”
