Two leading airport GSE brands are to benefit from a £30 million investment, as they ramp up production.
High-lift vehicle manufacturer Norquip and the Jumbotug range of zero emission tow tractors have just moved into a new 250,000sq ft UK factory. Their parent company, The Tanfield Group Plc, is investing over £30 million in the site, as it launches full assembly line production.
The move will create at least 400 jobs over the next three years. Kevin Harkin, Sales Director for Specialist Vehicles, said: "This is a superb facility that will give us the space we need for our next phase of growth."
The 15 acre site will be home to the Group’s four airport product ranges - Jumbotugs and Norquip, plus zero emission commercial vehicle manufacturer Smith Electric Vehicles; and UpRight Powered Access, one of the world’s leading producers of aerial work platforms. Tanfield, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM), is raising £20 million from investors and extending its debt facilities.
The company also won a £1.95 million Government grant towards the expansion.
The money will be used to boost production, improve quality, invest in R&D and grow the global sales infrastructure.
The new facility, called Vigo Centre, is based in Tyne and Wear. Along with two 90 metre crane lines, it also includes a dedicated Research & Development Centre for the development and testing of new, innovative vehicles.
Kevin Harkin said: "We have invested significantly in developing new technology electric vehicles for both Norquip and Jumbotugs.
"We can now offer airport operators a completely zero emission vehicle solution, with the necessary performance capabilities for the tough duty cycle this environment demands.
"We are confident that there remains a huge, relatively untapped market for the manufacturer that gets it right."
Tanfield has also developed the UK’s only nationwide service network for electric vehicles, with more than 120 mobile engineers based in 11 depots across Britain. They already maintain more than 5,000 vehicles. The Group’s expanded Quality team is now working on achieving the TS16949 automotive quality standard.
Kevin Harkin said: "Our goal is to achieve TS16949 for all of our vehicles and plant equipment.
"The commercial vehicle sector sets incredibly high standards in terms of build quality and we are confident that our new production facility will help us achieve and exceed those benchmarks.
"This is an extremely stringent quality standard and would demonstrate our commitment to quality to the entire industry."
