‘We simply have to adapt’ says MD as Silverlake eyes expansion to stay ahead of the EV revolution

With motorists increasingly turning towards electric vehicles and alternative fuels, the team at Silverlake Auto Recycling are moving to futureproof their operations for decades to come.

The company has just launched a public consultation on plans to expand their Botley Road site and develop new, specialised training facilities to upskill their staff.

Silverlake plans to expand their facilities on the A334 between Curdridge and Shedfield

Heading up the initiative is Silverlake MD and auto recycling veteran Allen Prebble, who shared his story with Hampshire Biz News back in June.

“I’ve been in this industry all my life, since my father set up the business just after the Second World War”, said Allen.

“We’ve never seen a period of change as big or as fast as what we’re going through right now, and we simply have to adapt.

“Recycling a car isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. Modern vehicles are more complex and, in some ways, more dangerous than their predecessors.

“It takes special skills and facilities to do what we do, and although we’re managing safely for now, these proposals will enable us to set the UK standard for vehicle recycling for the rest of the century.”

The planned expansion will create 60 full-time jobs onsite and allow Silverlake to enlarge their parts sale business, both in person and online.

They’re also keen to grow the U-Pick-It yard, where people can come along and safely choose the recycled parts they need from vehicles which would otherwise have been scrapped.

Then there’s the new training facilities, which Allen hopes will help the business maintain a skilled workforce and remain at the forefront of the industry – as they have done under 45 years of his leadership.

“I’m not ready to retire yet”, he added.

“We want to keep making a meaningful contribution to the young people we train and the people who work for us.

“We want to build on the millions of pounds we’ve already invested in our community by continuing to show our commitment to this business – and we believe there is a unique contribution we can make to the wider UK economy too.”

A live webinar with details of the plans will take place on Wednesday 8th November at 6pm, after which a recording will be made available on the project website.

The public consultation will run until 21st November.

• silverlake.co.uk

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