First Line is on the move
First Line, the well known aftermarket supplier is set to move into purpose built premises, which will showcase the true size of the company.
Dan Joyner, MD of First Line explained: “One of the reasons behind the perception that the company isn’t as big as it actually is comes from the fact that we have built a reputation for personal service and placed great value on the longstanding relationships that we have built up with our many customers over the years.
“However, the latest page in the First Line story will make obvious the true size of the business as we move from our long-time base in Bicester to a new purpose built facility by the M40 motorway in Banbury.
Established in 1983, Bicester has always been the company’s home, but despite protracted deliberations over possible sites in the town, the requirements for a new building able to meet the needs of the 12 product groups and the 25,000 part numbers that now form the First Line and Borg & Beck brand portfolios meant there was no choice but to look elsewhere.
“Our new distribution centre is a major investment for the long-term and will give the us the room we need for the next 30 years of our development, which continues to follow our foundation principle, which is to put our customers first.
“Everything from the size of the warehouse and its location, half a mile from junction 11 of the M40, to the IT infrastructure and logistical systems within it are geared around maintaining and improving our customer service.”
First Line’s continuing commitment to its customers can also be witnessed by the fact that the new facility also includes a technical centre for its Borg & Beck clutch systems, followed by the addition of a fully functioning garage workshop, so that technicians can receive first hand instruction on today’s technical challenges, due later this year.
Among the new building’s vital statistics are a warehousing area of 130,000 sg.ft., seven docking bays, more than 5,500 pallet locations and 15,000 picking locations. However, mere figures don’t do justice to the size of the commitment that First Line has made to its suppliers, customers and the UK’s independent aftermarket.