AM Seafoods Capacity Doubled with Project Link construction

AM Seafoods double their production capacity with a brand new £1.5 million purpose built facility delivered by Project Link Design and Construction.

When you’re considering expanding the business you’ve carefully nurtured for many years, it can seem like a daunting prospect with a lot to consider, but it doesn’t have to be that way, as AM Seafoods have discovered. Find out more about what to expect and what is involved if you’re looking to expand your food business outlined below.

Where do you start and what should you expect if you want to expand your food business?

Every project is unique, and initially the Project Link team ensure they understand all of your requirements, ideas and concerns before creating a building design, specification, drawings, budget and cost analysis that you can then shape to ensure it delivers on all aspects.

Darren Williams, Managing Director of Project Link stated, “As we only work for food industry clients, we are uniquely positioned to assist companies like AM Seafoods with their design, planning and construction requirements. Whether it is the collaborative construction process used when working alongside live production areas, or integrating new premises into an existing scheme, as we did on this project, we have the knowledge and experience to deliver first class results.”

Once you have your design, what is needed for Planning Applications?
There are a number of specialist reports that are frequently required:- flood risk assessments, environmental impact surveys, soil investigation and party wall acts as well as your building design and specification. All of this can be handled by the Project Link team to provide the best opportunity of securing Planning Permission.

You have Planning Permission, what next?
Detailed design and drawings are agreed, working through every aspect of production and equipment to ensure the best long term return on investment. Project Link utilise the services of an established team that include structural engineers and CDM Coordinators to ensure full compliance with all construction Health and Safety Legislation.
Utilities may need to be upgraded, and as with all aspects of the project, the Project Link team will identify opportunities to save costs for the client. For AM Seafoods, the Project Link team specially designed an effluent system to remove significant waste products and proteins from the foul water before discharging, thus reducing the future trade effluent costs significantly.

What’s involved with the build phase?
There are so many different elements and complexities to construction for the food industry, this is where companies such as AM Seafoods really benefit from the project management experience of Project Link ensuring all aspects are co-ordinated, from sourcing equipment, connecting utilities and managing multiple specialist contractors, to modifying plans and associated specifications in order to comply with increasing demands of regulations and end users during the build.

Tony Portlock of Project Link said of the AM Seafoods project, “Here in one contract, we undertook all disciplines we would generally come across, it is a great example of what Project Link do.”

Production facilities at AM Seafoods incorporate low care raw goods reception chiller, high care cooking area with steam production, ventilation, and various production lines, chilling and packing areas, blast freezers and a holding freezer, as well as all of the associated facilities to support this.

From the ground works; incorporating foundations, extensive stainless steel drainage systems and AM Seafoods’ specially designed effluent facilities, to the steelwork, complex production facilities and staff areas with changing facilities, canteen, offices and ancillary fit out, Project Link ensured the build went to plan, enabling AM Seafoods to double their production and grow their business.

Mark Merrick, Director at AM Seafoods said, “Darren and Tony worked flat out to deliver a project that seemed to constantly move as we came up with more and different ideas. They brought together a great set of contractors who were equally as accommodating, and we now have the best facility we could have envisaged. I think what I appreciated most, was feeling that nothing was too much trouble, and no problem insurmountable. The new facility will allow us to deliver a first class product for many years to come.”

Part of the Gilcrest Group, Project Link is a specialist food industry design and construction business with 65 years of experience in this field. Their aim is simple – to build projects safely, on time and on budget, no matter how challenging or unique the project, no matter how large or small.

If you are considering a new build, extension or refit and would like to discuss this with the Project Link team, please call 0117 316 7010, email [email protected] or visit www.projectlinkuk.com.