From its early days providing support for the Experience Centre at Silverstone race circuit, to becoming the number two dealer for Lotus cars in Europe, Lotus Silverstone has seen steady business development. This growth culminated in July 2018 with a relocation to an 11,000 sq ft showroom, workshop, stores and administration facility on Silverstone Park at the heart of the Silverstone Technology Cluster.
The move virtually tripled the space that the business previously occupied and allowed for a ‘clean sheet’ approach to designing its workshop, where service, repair, diagnostics and restoration work is carried out on new and used Lotus cars.
“We identified the need to expand, and the opportunity arose to relocate not far from our original premises,” says Matthew Haskins, managing director at Lotus Silverstone. “The Silverstone Park location was ideal as it also gave us that blank sheet of paper to create spaces as required. At the same time, the move allowed us to futureproof ourselves for growth and any corporate requirements that Lotus Cars may have.”
When it came to the workshop area, the requirement was for efficient use of the space and to present a clean operating environment in which Lotus Silverstone’s technicians could work. Tenders were requested from storage suppliers and System Store Solutions was the successful bidder, with its Fami range of storage and workbench systems.
“We asked all of the suppliers to quote a solution, and while not coming in with the lowest price, it was clear that System Store Solutions had listened to what we wanted, and their team created a layout that suited our needs,” says Haskins.
With 90% of Lotus Silverstone’s invoices being derived from aftersales and servicing, the workshop plays a vital role in its business. The completed storage and workbench solution includes a variety of sliding door storage and drawer units, and features integrated air lines and waste receptacles, all designed to present a clean and efficient working area.
The final choice of colour for the doors and drawer fronts was determined after a visit to a fellow customer of System Store Solutions and near neighbour of Lotus Silverstone, Envision Virgin Racing Formula E Team.
“We had planned to go with a lighter colour scheme, but after seeing how modern and clean the charcoal grey scheme looked, we opted for the same,” says Haskins. “In conclusion, we are very happy with the result, System Store Solutions listened to our requirements, produced a layout based on those requirements, then delivered the complete project on time and at a competitive price.”
