Stadco is set to build on the continued success of the UK automotive sector with a further significant phase of expansion following a £15 million investment in the latest stamping and assembly technology. This comes as a result of a major new contract for the manufacture of aluminium and steel stampings and sub-assemblies for a leading automotive OEM. This is on top of £15m of investment announced in 2013 for new transfer presses, which will be operational during quarter 4 2014. The new contract will involve work going into both its Shrewsbury and Telford facilities and will see employee levels in its UK operations exceed 1,100 during 2015. Stadco will have created 400 new jobs since the opening of its Telford facility in 2010, of which 200 will be required during 2014 and 2015.
Business Minister Michael Fallon said: “Stadco is continuing to invest, expand and create new jobs in Shrewsbury and Telford. Its success reflects the resurgence of the UK automotive industry, which is also going from strength to strength. Last year more than £2.5 billion of investment was announced, plus the creation of over 5,000 new jobs. We are investing £1 billion jointly with industry to keep the UK at the cutting edge of automotive technology. As part of our industrial strategy we will continue to work collaboratively to give companies the confidence to invest and create strong growth for the future.”
Shrewsbury’s investment will see the installation of fully flexible automated cells capable of producing 260,000 assemblies per year across a range of vehicle models with production due to commence quarter 4 2014.
Investment in Stadco’s Telford plant will mean the addition of two 2,000 tonne transfer presses, fully equipped with the latest material handling equipment, capable of processing both aluminium and steel blanks at high speed. This will provide the capability to produce up to four parts simultaneously, at a combined average rate of up to 3,200 parts per hour to suit high-volume vehicle production. The new equipment is set to be installed during quarter 2 2015.
Stadco is a major international supplier of body-in-white (BIW) products and services to a range of automotive OEMs including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and GM. The organisation has grown significantly in recent years with investments in new facilities and equipment to support its expansion. In 2011, Stadco purchased an 18-acre site in Telford housing two high-speed large mechanical press lines and 33,000 square metres of covered factory space.
Stadco has four production facilities in the UK, with industry-leading expertise in the manufacture of both steel and aluminium stampings and complex assemblies. It has been involved in a range of recent high-profile programmes, including the all-aluminium Jaguar F-Type, for which it manufactures the major panels and closure assemblies. Stadco is a major supplier of complex assemblies to Ford in Germany, and its Indian operation provides product design and prototyping services to the Indian market, with its head office located in Chennai.
Stadco’s UK Managing Director Chris Fisher commented: “This is a highly significant moment in the evolution of our organisation. In combination, the four transfer presses and innovative assembly solutions will cement our reputation for world-class manufacturing facilities – further enhancing our status and opening up opportunities for ongoing growth.
The winning of this contract is a direct reflection of every person in the organisation. The decisions and actions taken by everybody, every day, have led to us building a trust and reputation that gives our customers the confidence to award us with such high profile and significant contracts.”
Telford & Wrekin Council leader, Kuldip Sahota said: “This is more excellent news and proof that Telford is the place where businesses want to be. The Council has been in discussions with the team at Stadco for a while now and has been hugely impressed by the exponential growth that the company has achieved in such a short space of time. The new investment will further strengthen Telford’s position as a location of automotive excellence and create many more jobs for local people. The Council will continue to work with and support Stadco as it moves towards implementation stage.”
Councillor Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council, said: “This is brilliant news for the Shropshire economy and a tremendous boost not just for one of our top manufacturing companies in Shrewsbury, but also for the many local suppliers who rely on Stadco. We are particularly pleased as it is a huge vote of confidence in the Shrewsbury workforce and will increase the number of highly skilled and high tech jobs locally.”
For more information about any of the services offered by Stadco please visit www.stadco.co.uk, www.stadco.de and www.stadco.in
