MORE jobs are on their way to Brighouse following a decision to relocate a thriving engineering firm in the town.
Valve specialist Severn Unival is set to move from outdated premises at Milford Street in Huddersfield to a new complex at Birds Royd Lane.
And parent group Severn Glocon Group has announced that newly-acquired Leeds Valve, currently based at Gildersome, will also move onto the Brighouse site – adding 18 jobs to Severn Unival’s 84-strong workforce to bring total numbers to 102.
Severn Unival also expects to create 10 new jobs in the longer term at research and innovation centre which is part of the plans for the complex.
Construction of the firm’s purpose-built facility is well under way.
Cranes and heavy plant equipment were delivered last month and steel frames for the office building have been erected. The offices will continue to take shape during August with the internal fit-out scheduled to begin by early September.
Construction of the factory will begin shortly with fit-out works starting in October.
In total, the £2.5m factory and office development will provide 53,500sq ft of premises. The complex will house a state-of-the-art valve research and innovation centre as well as facilities for valve manufacture, engineering and administrative services.
Severn Unival said activity was proceeding to plan. The Severn Unival and Leeds Valve teams will link up when they move to their new workplace in mid-December.
Severn Unival managing director Colin Findlay said both teams were “energised and excited” at the prospect of moving to the new site.
He said: “This isn’t just an investment in the business, it is an investment in our people.
“Each and every one of our employees has played an important role in our ongoing success.
“We think they will be proud of their new workplace and we are very optimistic about our future in Brighouse.
“In recent weeks, we have secured some significant contracts and relocating to larger premises will allow us to explore some exciting new opportunities.”
Severn Unival and Leeds Valve – now renamed Severn-Leeds Valve – work with major players in the energy industries to provide highly-engineered valves, including ones which have to function in extreme climates.
Moving to Brighouse takes Severn Unival back to its roots.
The company, formed 30 years ago, started out at the town’s Phoenix Works, trading as Unival Controls and employing four people. It moved to Milford Street in 1995 and was bought by Severn Glocon Group in 1998.
Gloucestershire-based Severn Glocon Group employs 800 people worldwide and won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2011.
