Filtermist marked the start of work on its new £3m global HQ by welcoming guests to a ground-breaking ceremony at the Telford 54 (T54) site yesterday, jointly hosted by construction company Morris Property.
Filtermist’s Managing Director, James Stansfield, was joined by the Mayor of the Borough of Telford and Wrekin, Malcom Smith, and Tony Landh CEO of Absolent Group AB - Filtermist’s Swedish parent company, as well as Morris Property’s CEO Ian Galliers and representatives from Telford and Wrekin Council, and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
James Stansfield welcomed guests with a short speech highlighting how Bridgnorth born Filtermist has developed into a global market leader in its field, exporting its oil mist collectors to more than 60 countries worldwide; “We are all very excited to be marking this important milestone and pleased that so many people were able to join us. The new HQ signals the start of an important new chapter in Filtermist’s history by ensuring we are capable of meeting growing global demand for our products.”
Following a long period of sustained growth in both the UK and overseas, Filtermist has outgrown its current manufacturing premises in Bridgnorth. The company worked closely with Telford and Wrekin Borough Council and landowner, the HCA, before deciding to purchase the T54 plot due to a number of factors including its central location and close proximity to transport links.
Nick Bird, Area Manager for the HCA, Midlands, which owns 31ha of development land at T54 and land at Hortonwood and Halesfield business parks, said; “We have been working closely with Telford Council’s Estates Team to market our land and win more new business investment into the Borough. Filtermist’s announcement is a big breakthrough for T54 and is stimulating more interest in the site, with a further two agreements in the pipeline.”
With plans approved in August, the new facility will include 848m2 of office space and 1918m2 of production, warehousing and dispatch facilities.
Telford 54 is part of a wider regeneration programme encouraging both national and international businesses to invest in the development of the region, which was recently listed by the National Building Group and Building Magazine as one of the top 10% of local authorities providing a positive economic and planning environment for investment.
Councillor Bill McClements, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Finance and Enterprise, elaborates, “Telford is home to over 150 international companies and we’re delighted to add Filtermist to the ever growing list. The town and surrounding areas benefit from a number of inward investment incentives and we pride ourselves on the aftercare we offer to businesses that choose to locate here.”
The new site’s distance from the current Bridgnorth facility was also a prime consideration for Filtermist, as James continues, “We are fortunate to have a very dedicated and loyal workforce so we wanted to ensure the location of the new site would not be detrimental to any of our existing employees.”
Shrewsbury based Morris Property is due to complete the build by the end of July 2015.