Wessex Galvanizers has played a pivotal role in the expansion of a major retail park in Portsmouth.
The Eastleigh-based plant has provided its hot dip galvanizing treatment to 15 tonnes of steel used to install two walkways at the city’s Pompey Centre. The walkways are an integral part of two new tower blocks being built on the site, and have been commissioned in a two-month joint project between Wessex Galvanizers and Able Steel Fabrications Ltd.
The Pompey Centre, located next to Portsmouth Football Club’s Fratton Park Stadium, is one of the most successful DIY retail venues in the UK, housing 28 individual outlets. It is the home of the largest B&Q warehouse in the country, with a staggering 120,000 sq ft of retail sales area and a 30,000 sq ft garden centre. The DIY hub also provides shop floor space for ARCO, one of the UK’s premier suppliers of safety equipment and clothing, as well as being the centre for the local Primary Care Trust and the Sunnyside GP surgery.
Paul Sillence, Director of Gosport-based Able Steel Fabrications Ltd, commented: “It’s great to see the Pompey Centre continuing to grow and provide additional space for businesses, it’s really what we need at the moment. The team at Wessex Galvanizers have been so helpful on this project, providing a swift and reliable turnaround to help us complete our involvement on time.”
Richard Whiddett, Commercial Manager of Wessex Galvanizers, said: “Galvanizing the steel walkways will protect them against the rusting and corrosion for years to come, making this a real long-term investment for Portsmouth.”