Edwina Hart AM, Enrique Viseras and Pierre Sarre
Work has started on a new hi-tech engineering facility at one of Mid Wales’ largest employers which will create around 35 highly skilled engineering and technical jobs.
Control Techniques, a business unit of Emerson Industrial Automation, is developing a new engineering lab on land adjacent to its current company headquarters on Pool Road, Newtown.
The expansion is supported by the Welsh Government, which will construct and lease the facility to support the creation of new highly-skilled jobs. The specialist fit-out, which includes isolation of the test floor, acoustic partitioning and glazing systems, will be funded by the company and project managed by the Welsh Government.
On a visit to the site earlier this week to mark the start of work Edwina Hart, economy minister, said:” I am delighted the Welsh Government is supporting the expansion of Control Techniques, an anchor company that makes a significant contribution to the regional economy and a major employer in mid Wales.
“The investment, which will create a number of highly skilled jobs locally, is a sign of confidence in Wales and the capability of the Newtown facility which plays a key role in the design and development of new products for the global market.”
The new, industrial scale facility will enable the company to expand its offer through the development of new products and technologies. It will also create extra office and meeting space, as well as a customer showroom and product testing labs.
The company, which was founded in 1973, is enjoying a period of sustained growth thanks to recent product launches, which has successfully taken the business into new markets across the world. Its Unidrive M family of products has been incorporated into applications as diverse as mining, food production and theatres. The new building will provide the company with the tools it needs to fuel further growth across a range of emerging markets.
Work on the 900 m2 lab, including the redevelopment and extension of the existing car park, is expected to be completed in autumn 2015. The existing site’s helipad will also be relocated and will continue to be made available for use by the Welsh Air Ambulance, a service Control Techniques has been providing for the local community for 8 years.
Control Techniques employs more than 2,000 people across 55 global locations, including around 600 people across its two facilities in Newtown. The business designs and manufactures variable speed drives and automation solutions for a range of commercial and industrial applications.
Enrique Viseras, president of Control Techniques, said: “We are proud of our association with Mid Wales, and developing our operation here has always been a priority. The new facility will enable us to grow as a business, both physically and in terms of the technological advancements we can offer to our customers.
“It is also an important signal to the market that we are investing heavily in our technical capabilities, as we continue to research emerging technologies which will deliver the longer-term growth we are working towards.
“We are grateful to the Welsh Government and Powys County Council for their support throughout the design and planning stages, and we are looking forward to an exciting future here in Newtown.”
