A HUDDERSFIELD engineering firm is moving to Brighouse in a job-creating expansion plan – scuppering hopes that the firm will stay in the town.
Valve specialist Severn Unival will switch from its Milford Street works to purpose-built 50,000sq ft premises at Birds Royd Lane later this year.
The firm’s 84 employees will relocate as part of a £2.5m expansion that includes developing a dedicated valve research and innovation centre, and that in turn will bring new jobs.
It means Severn Unival has abandoned its previous plan to move to a site at Bradford Road, Huddersfield, which was previously occupied by car dealer Richard Alexander close to Ringway Retail Park.
Despite strong support from Kirklees Council, the company said development of that site was progressing too slowly.
Under its new plans, all valve manufacture, engineering and administrative services will be based in Brighouse.
The firm expects to create 10 jobs in the long-term with the research and innovation centre, for which it attracted a six-figure grant under the Government’s £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund.
The news came as Severn Unival’s parent, Severn Glocon Group, reported its takeover of butterfly valvemaker Leeds Valve for an undisclosed sum.
The group said the acquisition complemented its global business in valve engineering, manufacture and supply and would provide “a platform” to boost its capabilities and product range.
Severn Glocon Group will take on Leeds Valves’ assets and 18 employees, including technical experts. The business, based at Gildersome, will operate as part of the Severn Unival division.
Colin Findlay, managing director said: “This is a mutually beneficial acquisition. With our well-established routes to market we expect to significantly boost the order book of Leeds Valve in a short period of time.
“Bringing butterfly valve manufacture in-house enables us to ensure the valves we supply meet the exacting criteria that underpin our world-class positioning”.
Severn Unival’s move to Brighouse takes the firm 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.
“Moving back to Brighouse marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Severn Unival,” said Mr Findlay. “We pride ourselves on our world-class engineering skills and now we will have world-class facilities to boot.
“The future is looking very bright – we have a healthy order book and our new premises will enable us to broaden our horizons and explore new opportunities.”
Mr Findlay said the Bradford Road site was taking too long to get through planning, adding: “We simply needed to move and an alternative opportunity arose.
“Kirklees Council’s business unit was extremely helpful, but we were getting to the stage where our business was being affected.
“The site at Brighouse is an empty site. It offers us a fair bit more space for expansion in the future and we will be able to build to our specification.”
He added: “Naturally, we feel some sadness leaving Huddersfield after 13 successful years, but the time is right to move on.
“We will continue to work closely with Huddersfield University and Kirklees College for recruitment and to support trainee and apprenticeship initiatives.”
Calder Valley MP Craig Whittaker welcomed the return of Severn Unival to its grass roots.
He said: “I am delighted that a dedicated valve research and innovation centre will be based in Brighouse.
“This is welcome news to the area and I hope that this will lead to the creation of additional jobs for the local people of Brighouse”.
