TANK-WELD Metals, one the largest companies of its kind in the region, has begun development of 500,000 square feet (sq ft) of new warehouse space.

The development comprises 250,000 sq ft at its Rio Bueno facility in Trelawny, which will expand the company’s own inventory of essential building materials, and 250,000 sq ft at its Ferry facility in St Catherine, built for the commercial rental market.

Together the two projects continue Tank-Weld Metals’ commitment to investing in infrastructure, so that building materials, and the space businesses need to store their own goods, stay available and affordable in Jamaica.

The new capacity adds to the group’s existing network of approximately 1.5 million sq ft of warehousing, its deep-water break-bulk port at Rio Bueno, and a fleet of about 120 heavy-duty trucks.

“Our first responsibility to customers is to have material available when they need it,” said chairman and CEO of Tank-Weld Chris Bicknell.

“The port, the warehouses, the trucks and the manufacturing capacity were all built with that in mind. This expansion is about making sure we can keep supplying our customers reliably as demand grows,” added Bicknell.

Tank-Weld was established in 1970 by David Bicknell and John Greaves as a small fabrication shop, with a $25,000 loan and 25 employees.

It has grown into a group of more than 800 people, and Bicknell says that growth has rested on relationships as much as on assets.

“In our early years, suppliers extended us credit when we needed it most, and we have not forgotten that,” he said.

“We have honoured every obligation since, and that record is a large part of why suppliers ship to us in volume and on good terms. It also allows us to keep supply reliable and prices competitive for our customers,” added Bicknell.

He pointed out that demand for commercial warehouse space remains strong, and the Ferry development will take the group’s rental portfolio to approximately 800,000 sq ft.

Bicknell added that the Rio Bueno facility will deepen the inventory behind Tank-Weld’s supply of essential building materials, inventory that serves Jamaica’s hardware stores, which Tank-Weld has supplied wholesale for 38 years.

“We don’t compete with our customers,” Bicknell said.

“Hardware stores carry a broad range of household items; our focus is essential building material, and our job is to keep them well stocked at competitive prices. Some of the stores we supply today started out of a garage, and their owners built them into strong businesses. It’s been a privilege to work alongside them and grow with them over the years.”

According to Bicknell, the same approach guides the group’s newer businesses.

Eight years ago, Tank-Weld launched Shacman trucks in Jamaica through TW Shacman, bringing affordable, high-quality new trucks to the market.

Before then, most independent owner-operators could buy only older used imports. Today they can obtain financing for a new truck, which has improved the economics of trucking for the people who move the country’s goods.

Through TW Solar, Tank-Weld serves as the local and regional distribution hub for inverter and battery manufacturer Deye.

Reliable supply and lower prices have helped Jamaica’s installer market grow to some 300 businesses, and have made solar power more accessible to households and businesses across the island.

Asked what has driven the company’s growth, Bicknell pointed to reliability, loyalty, and efficiency.

“There is no secret to it. Those are the things that shape our customer service, and we work to improve it every day. We are grateful to the customers, suppliers and employees who have built this business with us, and we intend to keep earning their trust,” declared Bicknell.