by Richard Cosgrove | Wed 04 Dec 2024
Renovation of Doosan Bobcat material handling facility in Belgium completed
The renovation and rebranding of the Doosan Bobcat Belgium facility in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium, has been completed. The office area has been completely renovated, modernised and furnished in the characteristic Bobcat house style. The technical buildings with workshops for inspection, machine modifications and repairs have been equipped with new lifting bridges and an overhead crane. The renovation and refurbishment of the buildings at Europapark-Noord in Sint-Niklaas involved an investment of two million euros.
Doosan Bobcat Belgium – formerly Doosan Industrial Vehicle – started selling forklifts on the European mainland from Belgium in 1993. In 2006, the company moved to a warehouse and distribution centre for forklifts, warehouse equipment and spare parts in Sint-Niklaas. In 2010, the administration, HR and sales & marketing also moved to the company premises. Due to the growth of the activities, the branch was expanded with a new building in 2014. Last year, it was decided to extend the lease of the location for nine years and to carry out a major renovation and modernisation of the buildings. As a result of the takeover of Doosan Industrial Vehicle in 2021, the site and buildings have also been furnished in the characteristic Bobcat house style.
The two-storey office building, where around 60 people work, has been completely renovated and adapted in line with the other European Bobcat locations in Dobris in the Czech Republic, Pontchateau in France and Halle in Germany. The space was converted into an open office to improve mutual cooperation. The renovation took into account the increase in the number of days for working from home. The office space therefore now largely consists of flexible workstations for both employees and guests and a lot of meeting space. In addition, modern and ergonomically responsible office furniture and equipment were purchased.
Also important was the modernisation of the workshops, which was recently completed. Pre-delivery inspections are carried out there, among other things, to check whether the machines, which come from the factory in Korea, meet European requirements and customer specifications. The workshops were equipped with an overhead crane and new lifting bridges, so that the forklifts delivered in Sint-Niklaas can be adapted to the wishes and specifications of the customers. The location will also play a role in solving technical problems and warranty cases. Facilities such as a new canteen, sanitary facilities and showers, a bicycle shed and charging points for electric bicycles and cars were created for the employees.
“We are not only celebrating the opening of this fantastic new facility,” said Gary Hornbacher, President of Doosan Bobcat EMEA, during the official opening of the new office building, “but also the integration of the material handling division into Bobcat, which means an important addition to our portfolio of compact machines. The completion and delivery of the renovated buildings is the start of a new chapter for our material handling team. We have the ambition to further expand these activities and the location in Sint-Niklaas will play an important role in this.”
In addition to Sint-Niklaas, Doosan Bobcat has its own sales offices for material handling in France, Italy and Germany. In most other countries, cooperation is established with importers and dealers. The company is currently active in more than 90 countries.
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