Nationwide Platforms: Custom Zappshelter Workshop Solution

The Company:

Nationwide Platforms, part of the Loxam Group, is the UK’s leading specialist provider of Powered Access rental equipment. They are committed to supporting their customers in every working-at-height requirement, with the largest and broadest fleet covering the entire country.

With a focus on innovation and safety, they offer award-winning solutions like secondary guarding systems and the Harness ON™ feature, ensuring they lead the way to a safer industry. Nationwide Platforms is also deeply committed to sustainability, continually investing in electric and hybrid equipment and introducing greener alternatives like HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil).

When Nationwide Platforms needed a robust, purpose-built workshop facility in Luton to support the maintenance of their fleet, they partnered with Zappshelter. Our goal was to deliver a bespoke, integrated solution that enhanced their operational efficiency.

The Challenge:

Maintaining the UK’s largest and most technologically advanced powered access fleet requires dedicated, high-quality workshop space. In the fast-paced rental industry, minimising equipment downtime for servicing and repair is absolutely critical to maintaining client delivery schedules and operational profitability.

Nationwide Platforms needed a solution at their Luton facility that went beyond basic storage. They required a fully protected, permanent workshop environment large enough to accommodate various pieces of powered access equipment. Crucially, this new facility needed to integrate dedicated, secure spaces for ancillary functions, specifically parts storage and battery charging bays.

Building a traditional workshop is often a long, costly and disruptive process. Nationwide Platforms needed a smart, rapid solution that provided the high-quality, weather-proof facilities they required without the lengthy construction timescale and headaches.

The Solution:

The successful solution involved designing and supplying a 14m wide x 12.2m long Zappshelter, engineered to serve as a purpose-built servicing and maintenance workshop.

To ensure both a functional and secure environment, the Zappshelter was fully enclosed with robust end walls at both the front and rear. Access was managed via a large 4m wide x 5m high electric roller shutter door for equipment entry/exit, supplemented by a standard pedestrian door.

The project’s ingenuity lay in the use of bespoke storage elements: we supplied two 40ft Hi Cube one-trip containers that were modified with cargo doors down one side. These containers now form the structural base of the shelter and are cleverly used as a secure, dry parts store for workshop components and battery charging bays for the growing fleet of electric and hybrid equipment.

We ensured the entire solution was fully customised, integrating the containers, access doors, and shelter dimensions perfectly into the Luton site’s operational flow.

The Result:

The new Zappshelter is now fully operational, providing Nationwide Platforms with a weatherproof workspace that supports the reliability and quick turnaround of their fleet. They are seeing positive impacts across several key areas:

• Operational Efficiency: The new workshop allows service engineers to perform equipment repair and maintenance year-round, regardless of weather conditions, drastically reducing maintenance downtime.
• Security & Organisation: The fully enclosed structure, combined with the secure, designated container bays for parts and charging, enhances site safety, organisation and stock management.
• Scalability: The container-mounted Zappshelter provided a fast, cost-effective alternative to traditional construction, allowing Nationwide Platforms to quickly scale up their operational capacity to meet the demands of their expanding, nationwide fleet. They also have the flexibility to relocate the Zappshelter to another location as their requirements change.

The successful delivery of this custom workshop solution further strengthens our partnership with Nationwide Platforms, proving Zappshelter’s ability to deliver tailored, high-impact operational protection for critical maintenance and logistics functions.

For us, a successful project is never just about the structure; it’s about the partnership. The outcome here highlights what we aim for every time: great service, customised solutions and a professional, safety-focused approach from start to finish.

Needing weatherproof workshop space to enhance productivity?

Give our team of Sheltologists a call today: 0208 0505 121 or hit the button below…