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Sam Woods, Chief Executive, breaking ground on the new Purfleet headquarters

Sam WoodsChief Executive

The Purfleet rebuild

A New Chapter for Acclaim Handling

A new warehouse, workshop, offices and driver training centre are going up on our Purfleet site.

Watch the latest updateSee why we're rebuilding

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ClearedThe old head office is gone, and the new headquarters is rising in its place.

Filmed by our teamFrom the first dig to the latest update.

Now: Stage 12, Raising the lift shaft and stairs

01This is how the new headquarters will look.

Built for what comes next

Purfleet stays at the centre of Acclaim Handling.

The new offices and car park, as designed.Offices and car park, as designed.
A render of the new Purfleet headquarters at dusk, with its lights onA render of the new Purfleet headquarters at dusk, with its lights on
The new headquarters at dusk, as designed.At dusk, as designed.
A render of the new Purfleet headquarters at dusk, with its lights on
A render of the front of the new headquarters: two storeys of offices either side of a glazed entrance, under a dark tower with the Acclaim sign, facing the car park.A render of the front of the new headquarters: two storeys of offices either side of a glazed entrance, under a dark tower with the Acclaim sign, facing the car park.
The front of the new headquarters, as designed.
02

Why we're rebuilding Purfleet

We've outgrown our Purfleet head office. The new headquarters will give our customers, our team and our trainees what the old head office no longer could.

Why we're rebuilding
  • Old HQNew HQCar park
    Old HQNew HQCar park

    Room to grow

    Purfleet has been our head office since 1985. The new headquarters will have space for the services we have added and the ones still to come.

  • A line-up of Hyundai forklifts with Acclaim Handling vans at our Portsmouth service centre

    Better service for customers

    A modern warehouse will hold more stock at Purfleet, so more products will ship straight from the shelf. Customers who visit will have a better place to see our machines.

  • One of our engineers working on a STILL forklift in a service centre workshop, with colleagues in hi-vis behind

    Better facilities for our team

    Our engineers will have a new workshop, and our office teams new offices. Each is designed for the work done in it.

  • A trainer and a trainee at a STILL forklift in our yard

    More room for driver training

    Purfleet will have a dedicated driver training centre, designed for RTITB accredited operator training. Our own and our customers' operators will learn to work safely there.

03

Built in 1985. Extended twice. Being rebuilt.

Built in 1985 as our head office and workshop.

Extended with a showroom, then a bigger workshop.

It has made way for the new headquarters.

Our founder bought the Purfleet plot in 1984 and built the head office and workshop on it, then added to them as the business grew.

David Woods, founder of Acclaim Handling, in an Acclaim hard hat at the wheel of a vintage forklift
David Woods, founder of Acclaim Handling
  1. 1982Founded by David Woods
  2. 1985Purfleet head office and workshop built
  3. 1992Showroom added
  4. 1998Workshop extended
04

The build, stage by stage

12 stages · 13 stage films

Stages overlap on site, so some films appear out of date order.

Project management by Mitchell Design & Construction. Groundworks by RJK Groundworks.

  1. Stage 01

    Moving out

    Done

    The team's leaving do in the old head office
    The team's leaving do in the old head office.
  2. Stage 02

    Knocking down the old head office

    Done

    An excavator sorting scrap steel on the Purfleet site
    Where the new workshop will go
  3. Stage 03

    Clearing the old foundations

    Done

    Breaking out the old foundations at Purfleet
    Clearing the site
  4. Stage 04

    Preparing the ground

    Done

    The piling rig at work on the Purfleet site
    Piling begins
    Bases for the steel frame
  5. Stage 05

    Pouring the foundations

    Done

    Pumping concrete for the new slab at Purfleet
  6. Stage 06

    Raising the steel frame

    Done

    Steels go up by the training centre
  7. Stage 07

    Cladding the frame

    Done

    Lifting a cladding sheet into place at Purfleet
    • The roof goes on
    • The cladding goes on
    • On site with the build team
  8. Stage 08

    Fireproofing the steel

    Done

  9. Stage 09

    Building the block walls

    Done

  10. Stage 10

    Laying the brickwork

    Done

  11. Stage 11

    Building the car park

    Done

    • The car park pillars go in
    • The car park walls go up
    • The car park's second level
    • The big concrete pour
  12. Stage 12

    Raising the lift shaft and stairs

    Now

    Latest stage11 stages done before this one

    Latest
    The build in timelapse

More from site

  • The new warehouse
  • A site visit with our Chief Executive's family

Watch every update on YouTube

05

The new driver training centre

The training centre's walls go up
Forklift certified

Training has always been part of what we do, and the new centre will give it a home of its own. Book a course at one of our existing RTITB accredited training centres or on your own site.

Book training

06

Purfleet and our service centres

Our service centres put our engineers, parts and equipment close to customers across the UK. They carry on as normal while Purfleet rebuilds.

Purfleet · Head officeNorwichSpaldingLiverpoolRugbyPortsmouthChathamReading

Whatever stage the build is at, we'll come to your site and work out what you need.

Book a free site visit