AN INNOVATIVE events and exhibitions business in south Warwickshire will be reaching new heights after investing in state-of-the-art machinery.
Showplace, based at Clifford Chambers, has specialised in exhibition stands, event structures and exhibition trailers for the last 35 years throughout the UK and overseas.
During the pandemic, the business diversified into creating modular visiting pods at care homes and Covid testing facilities.
And as the events and exhibitions industry has started to recover, Showplace wanted to invest in a new forklift truck after spending a large amount on hiring forklift trucks at different locations last year.
Rob Goodman, managing director of Showplace, contacted Jim Clark at the Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub to find out if they were any grants available.
He was put in touch with Denise Osborne, Business Development Advisor at the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and is being delivered by Coventry City Council.
The business received an £11,600 grant towards buying the £58,000 Manitou Truck Mounted Telehandler Forklift which has also created three jobs.
Rob said the grant had been instrumental in Showplace’s decision to go ahead and buy the top-of-the-range model.
He said: “We work throughout the UK for our clients as well as in Europe and after adding up the cost of hiring forklift trucks last year, we decided to look into how we could become more sustainable and more cost efficient.
“It was sometimes frustrating when we had hired a machine and our staff were on-site but it didn’t arrive on time which would delay the setting up for our clients through no fault of our own.
“Investing in the new forklift truck means we can load and unload exhibition items at our depot and the venues we are working at.
“The benefit is that we are much more efficient and are in control of the situation and not reliant on plant hire companies.”
