Sands Agricultural Machinery (SAM), the Norfolk-based self-propelled sprayer manufacturer, has made a big investment in a new 6ha site.

It will allow more efficient production and assembly flows, and an overall increase in capacity.

The new facility is just six miles along the road from the company’s location for the past 50 years at Brumstead, near Stalham.

It has a mixture of converted and purpose-built buildings, most fitted out with solar panels and all collecting rainwater.

See also: Sprayers: Where are they made?

© Sands Agricultural Machinery

Thomas Sands, son of founder Neal, explained the layout maximises production efficiency, with space to work on six machines at once, to unfold 36m booms indoors.

It will also enable them to increase the build rate from three to four machines a month.

Significant investment has also been made in new shot-blasting and powder coating paint facilities for machine components and to help in refurbishing used sprayers to a high standard.

Storage for Sands’ 26,000 parts lines, the service department and offices are also accommodated on the new site, from where Sands will build on the 4,000 or so self-propelled sprayers constructed so far.