14.12.2023

GAM Reviver

Spanish rental group GAM has opened a new rebuild/remanufacturing facility to rebuld or refurbish older models from its fleet. It is calling the programme ‘Reviver’ with the last two letters reversed - thus 'Revivɘɿ'

The company says it is just looking at forklifts. Spain scraps around 4,000 units a year as they reach the end of their economic life in rental fleets or in large industrial plants. The Reviver programme aims to extend their profitable working life, and thus reduce the number of new machines that need to be built. For those machines that are found to be beyond practical rebuilding, they will generate spare parts for machines that can be revived.

GAM is locating the Reviver facility, in Villacé - south of León in north western Spain - where it is already running a rental depot. The company says that the facility will be the largest machinery remanufacturing plant in Europe, covering an area of 200,000 square metres, with the ability to rebuild around 3,000 machines a year. It says that this will save 9,000 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent used to produce 7,500 cars. The facility will bring 150 new jobs to an area that has been depopulated due to a lack of work.

The building is an old ceramics factory - Cerámica De Villacé that closed its doors in 2016. The company is also working with Soltra to help with its diversity plans and hopes to provide some jobs to people with - as it puts it - ‘diverse abilities’.

The company said: “As one of the main players in the machinery sector, GAM has been working on sustainability for years and analysing how to make changes that really have a great impact on society. Within its strategic sustainability plan, 'Embracing Sustainability', we aim to incorporate sustainability throughout the business and ensure that it is continuously promoted and improved. The launch of Reviver is part of this plan, faithful to the company's commitment to creating a positive impact on the environment and the communities in which it operates.”