1,200 jobs bonanza at new £120m Wren Kitchens factory

The rapidly expanding firm - owned by Malcolm Healey - will build the massive facility - which will cover more than nine hectares - behind its existing factory on its 180-acre estate in Barton-upon-Humber.

The firm, which employs around 5,000 people across the UK, said it would bring a wealth of job opportunities to the area not only in manufacturing but also in IT, engineering and product development.

Wren Kitchens Managing Director Mark Pullan, said: “We are incredibly grateful for the huge amount of support we’ve received from the community and the council for this new manufacturing facility.

“Over 200 people attended our drop-in session providing us with great feedback which we were able to incorporate into our plans.

Wren - which only opened its first showroom 10 years ago - is now the UK’s largest kitchen retailer.

It employs around 2,000 people already at its sites at Barton-upon-Humber and Scunthorpe.

The 18-month construction project should start towards the end of the year.

Six objectors had raised concerns over how the A1077, which runs through the town, will cope with more traffic coming from the 24-hour operation.

The town council had welcomed the plans, but called for a relief road “at the earliest opportunity”.

Recruitment will be staggered over the next few years.

The company says they are looking for people who are "passionate and enthusiastic who want to join a forward-thinking family business and they will have the opportunity to develop their skills and climb the ladder."

Chair of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, Lord Chris Haskins said: “Wren is emerging into a major success story locally and nationally and this new multi-million-pound manufacturing site will be at the heart of their growing success; the investment proves that Humber has unrivalled connectivity, which has supported their strategic plans to rapidly grow into a world class business.”

North Lincolnshire council leader Rob Waltham added that the scheme would almost double the size of the company’s operations on the site off Barrow Road and was a “real vote of confidence” in the area.