Key facts

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

Benson Street, Sheepscar, Leeds

Value: £1.8m

Duration: 6 months

Local labour: 77% of Yorkshire based subcontractors

The Brief

Enterprise Cars Leeds had been occupying a small outfit opposite a vacant trade unit for near 20 years, and knew they needed to invest in a new facility that would reflect how much the business has grown over two decades.

Looking at where the Enterprise brand is going, and how they were to position themselves as a forward-thinking company with one of the biggest fleets in the UK, they started thinking of a strategy to maximise the brand through a flagship facility in the UK.

Making an investment in its employees was a key driver for the client, knowing that they needed to create an environment for everyone to be proud of. Employing mostly graduates, the intention of the new facility was to provide an enable for them to succeed and grow within the business.

Putting people at the heart of all that we do is something Sewell Construction prides itself on, so this was a perfect match. Not only did we have the technical know-how to get the job done, but we understood exactly what the client wanted to achieve with what would become the largest Enterprise Cars facility in the UK.  After winning the project on a competitive tender basis with I&G in the driver’s seat and Sewell Construction as the co-drivers, together we started devising a plan.

The Solution

The solution: to create a one-of-a-kind, flagship Enterprise Cars facility in one of the busiest units outside of Heathrow Airport.

The first of its kind, most Enterprise buildings start out as smaller modular buildings, but this one was to be the first three-storey building comprising of the following;

Ground floor:

  • Enterprise Cars sales desk and reception
  • Automated car wash and garage facility

First and 2nd floor:

  • Offices for sister company Integral

The building would be surrounded by a massive car park area and be home to an automated on-site car wash which would use the latest water recycling technology.

The external car park areas adopted a porous car park specification, consisting of geomembrane, open grade type three stone, and permeable tarmac finish intent to create a natural filtration system.

PV panels were also installed on the roof to create a more sustainable building.

This project threw a lot of firsts our way – for both the client and us as contractors – but it is testament to the team who brought it together and built a strong, transparent relationship working in tandem every step of the way.

The Challenges

  • It was critical for Enterprise to be out of their existing premises by a required date, and so time was of the essence throughout the project.
  • Working through covid meant that health and safety precautions were paramount. There were certain restrictions on site teams and a covid-risk register also had to be created to understand the risks and challenges to report to the client and look at ways to overcome, whilst also remaining within agreed time scales and budget.
  • Material availability due to the pandemic meant that everything had to be ordered early on in the planning stages to ensure prompt delivery.
  • Some of the materials were arriving from Spain; the team not only had Covid to contend with, but also Brexit posed some challenges.
  • Access / egress – parking issues whilst the site was in its early stages.
  • Small amount of asbestos was found in the ground when excavating meaning it had delay works to be taken away as specialist waste.

The Results

A three-storey flagship facility spanning 42, 688 square-ft and home for the Company’s largest rental bases in the UK.

The new branch will create 12 new jobs, including three Management Trainee positions which have already been filled since opening in June. Two promotions have also been given since opening.

The site boasts state-of-the-art sustainability features for a greener branch, including electric charging points for vehicles. The water recycling system saves on average 67 litres of water per wash, by ensuring the carwash collects run-off water which is then cleaned for re-use. Not only this, Enterprise has invested in the regeneration of the site and has looked to reduce flooding risk with a new water attenuation system. This technology protects the site from flash flooding by storing and slowly releasing surface water run-off – a key feature of sustainable drainage systems which slows down the rate at which surface water enters sewers or water courses.

I&G and Sewell Construction understood the client needs from the get-go. This was at the forefront of all communications, going above and beyond to meet, exceed and adapt to anything we threw their way. Communication between parties was one of the most honest, open and transparent I have seen on any job, and the results really show. We have a facility everyone can be proud of and we are already reaping the benefits in terms of employee wellbeing, growth and career development. There were a lot of firsts for all involved but the process was seamless because of the strength in communication at all times.

Peter Cummins Group Facilities and Construction Manager, Enterprise rent-a-car UK Ltd