SMH Fleet Solutions is just months away from opening its new £10m operations centre in St Helens, which will bring extensive facilities to support the group’s online auction operation.

SMH Fleet Solutions’ £10m Northwest operations centre, St Helens

The 20-acre development, based near Ravenshead industrial area, will provide comprehensive workshop and refurbishment facilities, as well as secure storage, vehicle inspection, a logistics management base as well as an imaging studio.

The new site is being opened following the acquisition of CD Auction by SMH parent firm Arctos Holdings some 18 months ago; once open the facility, which can store in excess of 3,000 vehicles, will allow the auction specialist to offer a processing point for its northern customers, rather than move cars to its Midlands head office. Vehicles will be processed and imaged, then sold online from CD Auction’s Corby headquarters and then delivered out to the buyer from the new facility, saving on transport costs for clients.

The new site in St Helens, specifically identified for its excellent transport links via main arterial road links including M6 to the North and South, M62 to the East and West, will provide SMH Fleet Solutions a significant presence in the North West and replace a smaller operation centre in the Bolton area.

The development expands upon SMH Fleet Solutions’ footprint across the UK. The business also has sites in Corby, Gloucester and Worcester as well as the Bedford site opened in 2017 with a £20m investment in upgraded facilities.

Martin McAuley, managing director at SMH Fleet Solutions, commented: “The opening of this site is another significant milestone in our ambition to be the leading supplier of comprehensive services to the UK fleet industry.

“Housing the latest efficiency-saving technologies and a full range of tailored support services, the new site in St Helens demonstrates our commitment to consistently innovate and deliver excellence for the benefit of our entire customer base.”