PGE Holden Tank Farm Case Study - Premier Garage Equipment

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HOLDEN TANK FARM CASE STUDY

from Premier Garage Equipment

About our client

The Holden Group in Norwich, Norfolk is a franchise dealership for multiple automotive brands including Renault, Volvo, Honda and commercial vehicles.

We were introduced to the Holden Group through our links with Volvo and had initially been asked to quote for the installation of a new VRE concept. Thanks to our reputation with Volvo and our track record of delivering liquid engineering projects, we were successful in winning this new business.

We have now worked with them for just over a year and we are excited to partner with them on their future projects.

Project brief

This project came through to our liquid engineering division and involved a restructure of workshop space which required a new tank farm with significant capacity: up to 8,000 litres oil storage and a waste oil tank with 4,700 litre capacity.

With three franchises on site, historically there had been three workshops, one each for Renault, Volvo and Honda. There were plans to build a showroom extension which necessitated the loss of one workshop. We were tasked with consolidating three workshops into two, combining Renault and Volvo into one. This required a rethink of oil management systems which required the correct oil grades to be routed to the correct franchise in their new locations, as well as the handling of waste oil.

Challenges we overcame

The tank farm was in a separate building to the workshops which meant we had to install new underground pipework and ductwork to bring all equipment up to current specifications and safety standards. By looping the new pipework and ductwork under the driveway accessing the dealership, and back into the workshop, we were cleverly able to eliminate the possibility of leakage.

Another challenge we faced was available space onsite, which was limited. Off the shelf tanks were not suitable, so we decided to design and manufacture bespoke tanks for a perfect fit.

The project had to be completed without affecting the client’s business so we were mindful of working around technicians and structuring each stage of the project to minimise disruption. How did we do this? We designed temporary measures including waste oil points and oil supply positions and provided barrelled oil to top up reserves when necessary.

When switching to the new tank farm we timed the oil deliveries to synchronise with temporary supplies running out and arranged the changeover to suit the Holden Group’s specific needs and kept their business live throughout.

From start to finish, the project took about two weeks and was delivered on time and on budget.

The completed project

To create the new tank farm, we had to remove and dispose of the old tanks prior to installing new pipework, new tanks, new pumps and a new alarm system. Where pipework existed, our aim was to use as much of it as possible which we were able to do. The new pipework was used primarily to route the oil to its new locations.

In the new tank farm, there are now four grades of oil distributed to each franchise via underground ducts, each grade in tanks with a 2,000 litre capacity. And it goes without saying that the new tank farm is fully compliant with oil storage regulations.

Measuring our success

In businesses like these, time really is money. All our projects must be able to demonstrate measurable success by maximising efficiency. If the correct product – air, oil and water – is not easily and readily available, it can cost the business time and money (and in reality, many workshops don’t have oil and water to hand).

Let’s estimate that it takes a technician a few minutes each time to collect oil from a tank or barrel that is not local to him. A workshop can see 40 services each day meaning those few minutes soon balloon to 728 hours each year. At a conservative hourly rate, this still represents many thousands of pounds potentially lost to the business. Don’t just take our word for it – large franchise dealers have long recognised this fact and commissioned studies to evidence it.

What next?

Following completion of this project, we are still working with the Holden Group on the ongoing development of this site and other Holden sites.

For PGE, projects like these invariably lead onto more projects with other clients, both new and existing. Thanks to our many years of experience, we have become the ‘go to’ for projects like these and we are often approached for our advice on a range of topics.

What Our Customer Had to Say

Adrian Guest - General Manager

“Thanks to PGE, the creation of this new tank farm was completely straightforward. We had been nervous prior to the project commencing due to the complex nature of the site, the existing infrastructure and the potential hazards always present when moving oil tanks and related components.

We knew that PGE had the necessarily skills for the job but to see a potentially complicated project be delivered in just two weeks without any hiccups was impressive. There was always someone on hand to chat to and to discuss any project amendments and their ability to interpret the regulations for us and reassure us that we would be fully compliant was always appreciated. Thanks to the PGE team, the cost savings to our business are already being realised. A great supplier to partner with, we highly recommend them.”