STIHL has unveiled plans to build a new 11,500 m2 purpose-designed headquarters and state of the art warehouse facility near to its current premises in Surrey.

Due for completion in December 2022, the Camberley site will be home to nearly 100 employees and will boast dedicated dealer training facilities, an on-site restaurant, flexible collaborative workspaces and a technical workshop.

The new 9,000 m2 warehouse space will utilise picking and storage systems to maximise productivity, efficiency and the use of space, the firm said. 

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All logistics will now be consolidated onto one site, meaning a 'speedier and more efficient delivery service' to the 700-strong STIHL dealer network.

Kay Green, managing director of STIHL GB, said: “STIHL has enjoyed a sustained period of growth in recent years, and as a consequence we have outgrown our existing warehouse and office facilities.

"Our new purpose-built headquarters represents a significant capital investment and is a commitment to the future for our dealers and end user customers. We’re looking forward to seeing work get underway on the construction of our new premises early in the New Year”.

The new HQ, which secured planning permission last year, boasts first class environmental credentials, according to Stihl chiefs, including BREEAM Certification, the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for building projects. 

It is proposed that two-thirds of the total roof area (1600 m2) will be covered with photovoltaic solar panels to provide power to the new facility. In addition, there will be provision for 26 EV charging points in anticipation of the continued move towards the use of electric vehicles.

The new headquarters will also be connected to Blackwater railway station by a dedicated cycle path and will feature landscaped gardens with native shrubs and trees and a wildflower meadow which forms part of an integrated flood risk mitigation zone on the former Thames Water Utilities site.

The company aims to relocate to the new facility from its current premises in Stanhope Road in January 2023.