Speedy opens another Regional Service Centre

Speedy’s new Regional Service Centre in Reading, UK.

Speedy Hire has opened a new Regional Service Centre in the UK, to meet the rising demand for equipment rental services in the country’s Thames Valley region.

Located west of London in the town of Reading, the company’s new 18,000sq ft (1650m²) Bennet Street centre aims to support construction industry businesses as a number of large-scale housing development projects get underway.

Described as a multi-million-pound investment, the centre will operate a both a click and collect service and offer around 350 products as part of its 4-hour delivery promise, Capital Commitment. 

Dave Cummings, area manager for the South Coast at Speedy, said: “This investment comes at an important time for the region.

“The pipeline of exciting new developments is building quickly across the city and there are growing numbers of local contractors that need access to a comprehensive range of tools and equipment hire and advice to support them in delivering their projects safe, on time and on budget.”

Speedy, which recently invested £5 million (€5.6 million) in its power fleet and €3.4 million in new boom and scissor lifts, said the Bennet Street services centre would also offer a full range of lifting and survey equipment. 

This includes hoists and gantries, which will be available to local businesses for the first time. 

The new site joins a UK and Ireland network of 200 branches, and is the latest of several new depots opened by the company in the region this year.

In January it launched a Regional Service Centre in Swindon and in February it opened another in Doncaster.

All the new centres were established to take advantage of the region’s increased construction activity, which could see the construction up to 8,000 new homes.

New housebuilding projects in the Thames Valley region include the 735-home Huntley Wharf development, a 315-unit development in the Thames Quarter area and the Vastern Road development - at which up to 2,000 new homes may be built.

While some of the projects could up to 10 years to complete, the recently approved £750 million (€875 million) redevelopment of Station Hill in Reading is due to be completed in 2024.