Bedfordshire-based Star Platforms is investing £2m in new working at height equipment to support the opening of its fifth depot.
Founded in 2014, Star Platforms helps businesses work safely at height by providing them with a range of powered access equipment, including scissor lifts, cherry pickers and low-level platforms.
Following the success of its branches in Luton, Leicestershire, Berkshire and Kent, the firm recently opened a fifth depot in Thetford, enabling it to serve all parts of Anglia. The investment sees 400 new pieces of equipment shared across all five sites, bringing the total number of hire equipment in the business to 1,500 – double the amount the company had in 2016.
Managing Director Richard Miller said: “We have a large demand from existing customers to supply equipment in the Anglia region, and, with no Access Alliance member covering the area, we were compromising the service we offer with no managed supply chain. We therefore took the decision to open a depot in Thetford which has excellent road links to all parts of Anglia including Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Essex and beyond.”
The new site has resulted in the creation of five jobs, with Stephen Carman at the helm as General Manager. Stephen has more than 20 years# experience in the rental sector and previously worked in positions for Hewden and Nationwide Platforms.
Richard added: “With a dedicated training room at each of our depots, we’ve been able to help more than 700 people pass their IPAF courses over the last year alone. Our Thetford training room is now open for business and we look forward to teaching more people how to select, manage and operate powered access platforms safely.
“We will also be looking for more engineers and drivers to work at the Thetford depot over the next year, and plan to invest in even more platforms, delivery vehicles and service vehicles dependant on demand.”
