Exclusive: Expansion sees new UK HQ for global leader

The firm, which manufactures drivers to move conveyor belts for airport luggage, sports stadia roofs, assembly lines and bottling plants, plans to build a 100,000 sq ft assembly and warehouse facility on a site, in Normanton, West Yorkshire.

The company, which employs 100 staff, said the land, close to its current 70,000 sq ft site at the Beckbridge Industrial Estate, in Normanton, is the ideal location for its planned expansion because of its links to the M62 and M1 motorways, which will help its 24-hour dispatch service.

The site, bought on behalf of SEW by industrial property agency Gent Visick, was owned by Commercial Development Projects, the development arm of the Elland-based Marshall Group.

The building project has outline planning consent and is currently still in the planning phase but the company hopes to start construction next year. It is in talks with architects about possible designs.

The family-owned German business, which has a UK turnover of 25m, owns all its property and has an array of impressive structures worldwide. The site at Normanton will be its flagship warehouse in the UK.

The new tailor-made unit bucks the market trend of manufacturers buying existing buildings for fit-outs.

Managing director Mark Holmes said: "We are not a call centre or a distribution warehouse – we have some very specific needs. If we buy an existing building we won't necessarily get what we want. The oldest part of our current building is 40 years old and we want something we can use for the next 40 years."

The build will take up to 12 months to complete and Mr Holmes said he hopes to have diggers on site by Christmas next year

Over the next couple of years, the company aims to create another 10-15 jobs.

Mr Holmes said: "The move will extend our service offer considerably. We are bursting at the seams and it will allow us to extend the business in the way we want."

He added: "We are constantly bringing in new products. That is a reasonably steady part of the business and we are expanding all of the ranges at the moment. We are also expanding our service capabilities."

Mr Holmes said that although the company had been affected by the recession, it was continuing to grow. "The recession affected us, but not as badly as you might think and we are now finding new growth," he said.

Rupert Visick, of Gent Visick, said: "This is an unusual move for a manufacturing company. At the moment, the vast majority are looking for cost-effective options but SEW haves very specific requirements, and from their point of view it is important that the image of the building portrays the image of SEW.

"Some of their other buildings are fairly spangly buildings so it's important that this new one portrays the image that this is a company at the forefront of their industry.

"The move demonstrates that there is still life in the industrial market."

The global SEW operation employs more than 10,000 people in 60 countries with annual sales in excess of e1.5bn.

The UK head office maintains stocks of more than 5,000 different components, which have a value in excess of 3m.

SEW HISTORY

SEW Eurodrive is a German manufacturing company founded by Christian Phr, in 1931, as Sddeutsche Elektromotoren Werke.

The company is the market leader in the production and maintenance of drivers used to move conveyor belts for airport luggage, sports stadia roofs, assembly lines and bottling plants.

Over the past 80 years, it has become a global leader in its industry.

The UK arm of SEW has been based in Normanton near Wakefield since 1969 with regional offices throughout the UK.