A global construction materials company is confident the opening of a new training facility in Coventry will help it train up employees more efficiently to better fulfil client demand.
Cemex, a $15 billion firm which manufactures and distributes cement, concrete, and aggregate for the construction industry globally, has opened the training facility at Business Innovation Centre – part of the University of Warwick Science Park.
The new facility will allow Cemex’s UK team to easily train up many more of its employees in-house for various projects, instead of having to book external venues which would cost the firm time and money.
The new training centre also sits alongside an office for administration staff across 1,732 sq ft of space. This has freed up capacity for its 200 staff at its UK headquarters – based just a stone’s throw from the Innovation Centre on Binley Business Park.
Terri Charles, Head of Customer Experience for the UK at Cemex, explained the motivation behind the expansion: “We were facing space constraints at our UK HQ, particularly when it came to dedicated training sessions. Meeting rooms were frequently booked, forcing us to rely on external venues such as hotels for longer sessions. That wasn’t ideal for our employees or for cost-efficiency.
“Located just a short distance from the company’s headquarters, the Business Innovation Centre was a natural place to expand into. A tour of the site, hosted by Centre Manager Emma Turner, confirmed its suitability. It quickly became evident that it was the right choice for us.
“The high-quality communal areas, the incredibly supportive team, and the collaborative spirit of the businesses already based here made the decision easy.
“The newly established training facility now provides a dedicated space where teams can gather, with the flexibility to connect virtually with colleagues across Europe and the Americas, and allows us to deliver training without the constant concern of venue availability.
“It’s a significant step toward working more efficiently, something that’s increasingly important as our clients become more cost-conscious in a changing global economy.”
Since moving in, Cemex has already hosted several comprehensive training sessions and has seen a marked increase in cross-team collaboration.
“Having this space helps to make us more agile,” Terri added.
“Staff are regularly moving between the HQ and the Innovation Centre, which is creating new opportunities for knowledge sharing and teamwork. It’s a change that’s already benefiting both our people and our clients.”
Emma Turner, Centre Manager at Business Innovation Centre, said: “We’re really pleased that a company of Cemex’s size has chosen to take space with us. With the centre being in such proximity to the headquarters, it is the ideal solution for fostering ongoing collaboration.
“It shows that we can provide innovative workspace solutions from the smallest of start-ups right through to multinational firms that turn over billions.
“We’re delighted that the training centre and administration office is already helping Cemex improve its efficiency and ability to be more agile.”
