GGR Group’s new training centre takes shape – Industry News

Leading lifting solutions specialists GGR Group’s new training centre is taking shape. Work on the facility began just before Christmas at its headquarters in Oldham, UK. The frame is now in place and the roof is in place.

A number of pieces of GGR’s specialist machinery is being used in the project. This includes a Unic URW-376 and Unic URW-506, which were used in a tandem lift for the steel work. The cladding was put in place using a Starworker 1200 trailer crane and a Multi-Clad cladding lifter. It is hoped the building will be open and in use by summer.

GGR, which is now in its 21st year of trading, moved to its current headquarters in Oldham from nearby Royton over five years ago. It employs over 100 people across three sites, including Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, and Blantyre, Scotland, supplying vacuum handling equipment, compact pick and carry cranes, Unic mini spider cranes and restricted access machinery to a variety of industries such as construction, glazing, engineering, rail, utilities and manufacturing.

GGR also has a network of dealers, which span Europe and the United Arab Emirates.

Chris Lord, operations director at the GGR Group, said, “It’s great to see our new training centre taking shape. Our Oldham headquarters is already an official training centre for the Construction Plant Competency Scheme (CPCS) A66 mini crane course, which is a hands-on course to teach users how to safely operate mini cranes.  It is also a training centre for an RTITB accredited vacuum lifting equipment course.  Both courses regularly entail the use of the depot’s training area for teaching candidates; however space for this has become very limited due to our expansion.

“That’s why we were delighted when the local council agreed to our growth plans as we wanted to stay at our current location, rather than have to look at alternative premises.

“This purpose-built centre, directly opposite our head office, will include a classroom, showroom and space for practical lifter training. Altogether, it will ensure that we continue to offer high quality training to both our own staff and customers alike.”