Relocation for growth

Aero Tec Laboratories (ATL) and SJD’s relationship spans back 15 years when ATL asked SJD to undertake electrical alterations at their 25,000sq ft building in Patriot Drive, Milton Keynes.

As the company developed to become a leading liquid containment specialist working in motorsport, defence and industry, ATL needed to find larger premises to enable them to develop the business and increase their output.

In 2013, ATL identified a 105,000sq ft industrial building in Bletchley, Milton Keynes which was one of the largest of its type in the area. They had an ambitious plan to convert it into their new home.  

Giles Dawson, ATL’s Group CEO asked SJD to survey the building with him, to see what was needed to turn their ideas into reality and create a new headquarters, manufacturing and research & development facility.

Inside knowledge

SJD’s knowledge of ATL’s operations meant that they had a deep understanding of what the building should look like and what would be required to provide the electrical and data infrastructure for their operations.

With ATL specialising in manufacturing fuel cells for Formula 1 racing cars, there was a tight deadline to have the new building up and running in time to fulfil orders from teams such as Porsche, who were preparing to compete in the next racing season.

Acting as main contractor, SJD project managed the installation of flooring, mezzanines, partition walls, and office fit-outs along with all mechanical, electrical and data installations in just 15 weeks, enabling ATL to move into their new home, seamlessly, over a single weekend.

Giles Dawson explains that ATL relied on trusted advisors for an easy transition: “We were a growing business and had to consult the right people to help us create the best location for us to develop. SJD was instrumental in getting us there. Finding the right contractors to provide what we required in a short space of time was crucial.  We were relying on all the experts to work together to deliver what we needed.”

SJD’s electrical work included the full installation of panel boards, distribution boards, power, auto sensor lighting and fire alarm protection systems.

Once settled into their new home, ATL then asked SJD to help them disconnect and strip out their old building and deal with dilapidations, remediating it ready for them to sell.

Safety first

Much of ATL’s work involves the use of chemicals which can produce potentially hazardous and volatile vapours. Therefore, SJD worked closely with ATL to identify the correct local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system which could be scaled up as the company’s output changed and grew.  The original team of 40 had now grown to 70 staff, and it was essential that the system could cope with future demand for worker safety.

Giles Dawson said: “13 years later and the fans have stood the test of time and are still going strong because we planned for the future and they were the correct specification for the building.”

The specialist nature of ATL’s processes required SJD to fit ATEX grade equipment in four areas of the building to protect workers who were potentially at risk from explosive atmospheres.  Anti-explosion, spark-proof switches and lighting, CCTV and fire alarm systems were installed in bonding workshops, research & development areas and spaces used for simulation testing, all enabling ATL’s engineers to work in intrinsically safe workspaces.

On the grid

Racing cars are powered by fuel cells which mitigate the risk of explosion in the event of a collision. ATL’s products are designed to be extremely robust, and their products are also used widely by industry and military organisations where precision quality, and security is required throughout their supply chains.

ATL is required to demonstrate its safe working environment to clients, so SJD was asked to provide the necessary CCTV and security equipment for the building, along with uninterrupted power systems for their IT Servers.

“We need an agile and secure working environment, and we rely on CCTV for our process controls. The products we make must be of the highest quality, after all, our controls could save someone’s life,” Giles Dawson added.

“Our work is incredibly labour intense, there’s no way of automating what we do, we can’t make our products with robots, and therefore our staff use a variety of tools from MIG welders to mills and lathes for machining metallic and plastic components. Each engineer requires a networked computer to show them what’s required and the method and process of manufacture so our workshop fitouts and the electrical and data scheme in our research & development areas are critically important to us.”

With an ever-evolving marketplace, ATL wanted to exploit the flexibility of its modular workshops for their growing workforce which now stands at 200. SJD’s scheme was designed to allow them to adapt, disconnect and reconnect equipment in different configurations when needed.

Reactive and planned maintenance

Following the fitout, ATL and SJD decided that an ongoing maintenance programme should be put in place.  Planned maintenance includes testing, inspections and maintenance during ATL’s shutdown period each year, and SJD provides a fast response service should any failures occur mid cycle.

Sustainability is also a key factor for ATL and its clients who all have their own carbon reduction targets. SJD has a rolling programme to upgrade ATL’s lighting to LED and PIR to help them achieve their goal to Net Zero.

Giles Dawson concluded: “Together with SJD, we designed the fitout in the most cost-effective, modular way to allow us the ability to grow.

“Finding the right technical partners who you can work with, to do things well, is so important. Our core value is to challenge – asking why do we do things in a certain way, and asking if there’s a different, better way to do it. SJD has a similar outlook and that’s been key to the success.”

Ruth Devine, SJD’s MD said the two companies have a special relationship: “We’re really proud to be part of ATL’s growth. It’s a pleasure to see their success and to continue providing support to help them navigate into new markets.”