Stadco creates 200 new jobs on the back of large automotive order

SHROPSHIRE-based automotive stampings and pressing firm Stadco is set to create 200 new jobs ater winning a major new contract with a leading vehicle manufacturer.

The company said it planned to build on the continued success of the UK automotive sector with a further expansion following a £15m investment in the latest stamping and assembly technology.

The new contract is 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 the final quarter of this year.

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. This means 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.

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 in Q4 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, all involved 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.

The firm is also 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.

Chris Fisher, managing director, Stadco UK said: “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.”

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.”

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