Pipe Center is investing in its specialist pipe work Fabrication facility in order to extend its capabilities and offer customers an even better service.

Based at West Horndon, a few miles east of London, Fabrication provides off-site pipe work design and construction services for large commercial and industrial projects.

Pipe work systems are built in factory conditions before being transported to site for immediate installation, saving material, site labour, improving quality and ensuring project deadlines and costs are met.

Pipe Center is investing in the latest state-of-the-art Victaulic equipment to offer unrivalled pipe grooving capability for high performance systems. It is also investing in the latest welding plant and additional trained manpower.

Traditionally it has focussed on steel pipe work for HVAC applications, but is now expanding to meet contractors’ wider needs, including copper pipe systems for use in large scale cold water projects.

Gary Franklin, general manager of Fabrication, said: “The investments in new equipment and people significantly extend our capabilities, and enable us to take on a wider range of work.

“The aim is to build on our core strength in steel pipe work for commercial buildings, and grow in new areas that add value to customers – as well as our own business.”

The diversification includes the creation of complete pump packages, with all components assembled and skid-mounted for delivery to site.

Fabrication is working closely with Pipe Center’s other value added businesses, Valvestock, Modular Engineering and Custom Build, to provide customers with complete solutions across the spectrum of building services and industrial applications.

Mr Franklin added: “We see lots of opportunities to expand, and the recent investments give us the capability to deliver on a much wider front. The first fruits of this are already coming through and, dare I say, there is much more in the pipe line.”