Abdex celebrates successful move
Published: 17 January, 2020
Abdex Hose & Couplings, celebrated its 45th anniversary last year and also re-located to larger premises. The new site, in Clarke Road, Bletchley in the heart of Milton Keynes, comprises a 10,000 sq ft unit – a sizeable increase compared with the company’s previous 3000 sq ft facilities.
Stefan Gunter, Abdex’s sales & marketing director, explained the rationale behind the move: “Milton Keynes is one of the fastest growing cities in the UK and our new premises will enable us to hold substantially increased stock levels, which is invaluable for us largely due to the exponential growth in demand we have enjoyed over the past few years. The new site is also right in the heart of the city – with the MK1 postcode – which we feel will attract a good calibre of people as we continue to grow and expand as a business.”
The dedication of the existing workforce was evidenced during the successful transfer of the company’s equipment and facilities over a weekend. “We essentially shut the doors of our old premises at 1pm on Friday, worked solidly on the move over the weekend and opened for business at 8.30am within our new premises on the Monday morning – fully operational,” explained Gunter. “Everyone worked different shifts and, although this was a major operation, I’m pleased to say that in general everything went smoothly, and nobody fell out in the process. I’m really proud of our staff for what they achieved during this critical period.”
Winning team
Gunter added that the company had retained most of its personnel, which he believes is important from a continuity perspective. “Indeed, I believe Abdex UK can boast the best team it has ever had,” he remarked. “We have also just taken on two new people within the production department and are in the process of appointing a new member of the sales team. And from an increased efficiency perspective, one of our next goals is to put in place lean 5S principles.”
The Clarke Road site is located near to the MK Dons football ground and is surrounded by convenient shopping facilities. The building itself also benefits from a spacious showroom and larger meeting/training room. These training facilities will be used for Abdex’s own training requirements, as well as be available for approved third parties to conduct training as required. Also on the training front, Abdex continues to grow the market with its comprehensive range of test rigs and when required, a full range of certified training courses are available and can be carried out both onsite and at Abdex’s premises.
Broadening products and services offerings
Abdex, including the UK branch, is currently looking to broaden both its products and services offerings to existing customers in sectors such as water, oil & gas, general hydraulic and hydraulic tooling, automotive and aerospace etc. On the hose side of the business, Abdex has been certified by Parker as a UK authorised distributor to crimp and test the new Fire Armour BOP (Blow Out Preventer) hose. The hose is Lloyd’s certified to API 16D flame test requirements and is available from stock at 3000 (3/8” to 1”) and 5000psi (1/2” to 2”). Every hose is assembled and tested to stringent procedures, then registered and labelled using the Parker PTS (Parker Tracking System) which allows every registered asset to be identified and managed throughout its lifespan.
