Copart UK embarks on ambitious growth programme

Copart UK is increasing its vehicle storage capacity, with an ambitious growth programme underway to allow strategic development and expansion across the UK.

In 2019, Copart celebrated the addition of a further 22 acres of land at their Bristol Operation Centre with an official opening ceremony. Now, with a further 23 acres in its ownership at this location, the online vehicle remarketing company is preparing for development and use later this year.

The company also recently acquired and secured planning permission for an expansion to their Operation Centre in York, adding a further seven acres of land. This is being prepared for use towards the end of 2020, alongside a five-acre expansion of their Wisbech Operation Centre.

These expansions, alongside continuous improvement at other UK Operation Centres, will provide storage for an additional 6,000 vehicles, increasing overall storage capacity by more 10% ahead of the coming winter.

With the continued support of Copart US, it says that there are further investment opportunities in the pipeline to potentially increase capacity with major new developments planned across the UK.

Simon Sheldon-Wilson, director of property, security and specialist services, explained: “Our continued success means that our requirement for land continues to grow.

“We currently own more than 537 acres giving us the capacity to process around 60,000 vehicles at any one time.

“Our strategy for ongoing growth means we have embarked on an ambitious programme to identify, acquire and develop additional land for our business.”

The expansion of Copart’s existing operation centres is part of its dual strategy to both develop and acquire land to better serve their customers across the UK.

Phil Briggs, director of operation centres, transport and engineering, said: “It’s a very exciting time for Copart UK as we continue to grow in line with customer demand.

“Following the recent expansion of our logistics fleet, this significant investment into land acquisition and the extension and improvement of our existing operation centres will further strengthen our UK wide storage capacity, offering our customers the convenience of additional locations across the country and enabling us to continue providing the industry leading service they have come to expect.”