The Japanese manufacturer will open an additional spare parts warehouse at its Utrecht base early next year.

Utrecht is the site of Komori’s 4,500sqm European HQ and demo facility.

The manufacturer said that “rapid response, quick delivery and extended support across a broader product and supplies portfolio” was the driving force behind the decision.

Komori also has a European parts operation based in Leeds that supplies Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Peter Minis, marketing manager at Komori International (Europe), said the Leeds site continued to run in parallel with the Utrecht facility.

“Leeds remains as is, there are no changes scheduled there. It’s just an expansion,” he said.

Komori’s Utrecht site is currently working with World Health Organization guidelines due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and is providing online training programmes, customer demonstrations, and R&D facilities.

Only essential cross-border traffic – including goods transport, cross-border commuting and travel by key workers – is allowed in the Netherlands at the present time. Yesterday (20 December) it was among a number of countries to implement a travel ban on flights from the UK.