Rt Hon Tom Clarke, MP for Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, where Bison Manufacturing is based, today (Thursday 20th March) met with representatives from the company and toured Terminal 2.
Bison, which manufactures concrete building components including walls, stairs and floors, was responsible for producing more than 40,000 square metres of flooring for the project, equivalent to almost 10 acres and enough to cover around 6 football pitches.
The company has successfully completed a prestigious £1.15million contract to help build the UK’s newest airport terminal, set to open on 4 June this year.
Bison Manufacturing will have their work showcased on a Global stage with more than 20 million passengers from around the world set to use the new terminal every year.
The contract accounted for half of the factory’s output over eight months, with twenty staff from the local area retained to help meet the increased workload.
The project also gave Bison the opportunity to develop a new product that they had never been required to manufacture previously. At 60mm deep, the flooring slabs produced for Terminal 2 were specially created for the project and are the thinnest to be manufactured in Britain.
The £2.5bn infrastructure development is one of the largest privately funded construction projects in the UK. More than 140 UK businesses have been involved in its construction, drawing together expertise from across Britain and supporting over 35,000 jobs.
Tom Clarke, MP at Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill, where Bison Manufacturing is based commented: “I have been thoroughly impressed by what I have seen. I am so proud of their link in the Uddingston part of my constituency. This whole enterprise is going places and I want to give it every encouragement.”
Jim Harley, Operations Manager at Bison Manufacturing commented: “We still use all the new techniques we developed on the Terminal 2 project today, including a new machine we invented specifically for this job.” “All in all it was a great success story and raised the bar in terms of the quality of pre-stressed flooring in our industry. We are now recognised as having the best quality hollow-core product in Britain.”
John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow Development Director, concluded: “It is great news that the development of Terminal 2 has enabled Bison Manufacturing to recruit staff and develop an innovative new product. Major infrastructure projects have enormous potential to be a catalyst for growth in every part of the UK. Terminal 2 has enabled a wide-range of businesses to grow their knowledge, skills and people, the benefits of which will be felt not just now but for many years to come.”
Ahead of its opening on 4 June 2014, T2 is now in an intensive preparation phase as Heathrow, its airlines and other operators to ensure the terminal is ‘passenger ready’. These preparations have included more than 180 trials and tests involving over 14,000 people.
Notes to Editors
Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal is Heathrow’s most sustainable terminal yet, and marks the latest phase of the airport’s £11 billion transformation.
The new terminal will open its doors on 4th June 2014, with the first aircraft, a United Airlines flight from Chicago, scheduled to land at 05.55. Terminal 2 will eventually serve 20 million passengers a year and be home to 23 Star Alliance airlines, as well as Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic Little Red and germanwings carriers.
Twenty five thousand staff, many from local communities, will be trained so they can work at T2, including airline staff, retailers, cleaners and delivery drivers. The project includes the main Terminal 2 building, a 522-metre satellite pier (T2B), a 1,340 space car park and an energy centre and cooling station.
The spacious, light and airy terminal will use the latest technology, offering passengers greater choice as they travel through the airport. It will offer a variety of check-in options as well as fast and efficient bag drops. Passengers will be able to choose from a selection of 52 shops and 17 bars and restaurants, which will represent the best of modern Britain. Terminal 2 is part of Heathrow’s vision to be the UK’s direct connection to the world and Europe’s hub airport of choice.
The terminal will open in phases, with the 26 airlines moving in over a period of six months. Just ten percent of flights will operate for the first three weeks of June before gradually building up to full operations.
The history of Terminal 2
The old Terminal 2, opened by the Queen in 1955, was demolished after 54 years of service. It was Heathrow's first terminal, originally called the "Europa Building" and was designed to deal with 1.2 million passengers a year. By the time it closed in 2009 it was handling 8 million passengers a year.
The history of Terminal 2
The old Terminal 2, opened by the Queen in 1955, was demolished after 54 years of service. It was Heathrow's first terminal, originally called the "Europa Building" and was designed to deal with 1.2 million passengers a year. By the time it closed in 2009 it was handling 8 million passengers a year.
Bison Manufacturing
Based in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, Bison is a manufacturer of concrete building components such walls, stairs and floors for both the residential and non-residential construction markets. Its products are
made at its factories in Swadlincote, Derbyshire and Uddingston, Lanarkshire. Since its formation almost a century ago, Bison has grown to its current size of 187 employees, 28 of which are based in Uddingston.
