300 manufacturing jobs set for the West Midlands with new factory development

AROUND 300 new manufacturing jobs could be created in the West Midlands with construction of a new multi-million-pound development close to the site of Jaguar Land Rover’s engine plant set to begin shortly.

Magna International, a supplier to JLR, has concluded a deal to buy land and build a 225,000 sq ft manufacturing facility at the Telford 54 business park.

The scheme, revealed earlier this year, is already being hailed as a massive boost to the area.

The company, formerly Stadco until its acquisition last year, has planning consent from Telford & Wrekin Council for the development and construction is expected to begin imminently.

National property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) acted on behalf of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to attract the global automotive parts supplier to the 37-acre site, known as Titan 640.
 
Matthew Tilt, associate director in the industrial and logistics team at LSH Birmingham, said the go-ahead for Magna would be a catalyst for further investment and jobs in the Telford area.
 
“After more than two years of discussions, this is huge news for the Midlands and demonstrates the continued commitment that big business has in investing in jobs in the region,” said Mr Tilt, who led the LSH team that promoted the site in conjunction with local joint agents Bulleys.
 
“Titan 640 provides everything a major operator needs and delivers from a logistics perspective too, because of its easy access to major motorway networks, so attracting a company of Magna’s calibre is a significant boost to Telford.
 
“It is an excellent example of how a local authority and government agency can join forces and work together for the greater good of the community.”
 
Nick Bird, area manager for the HCA, said: “Working with Telford Council and UKTI, we’ve secured this multi-million-pound manufacturing investment for the region.

“We recognised the potential of the site two years ago and invested in the site to prepare it for this major development by securing planning permission, assembling technical information and conducting a targeted marketing programme.”
 
The Telford site will operate under the name Cosma, Magna International’s subsidiary and will bring some of the world’s most advanced structural casting technologies to the Midlands, with production beginning in 2018.  
 
Magna is one the world’s largest automotive suppliers and has 152,000 employees in 29 countries. In Europe, it has 55,625 staff.

Cushman & Wakefield represented Magna in the acquisition of the Telford site.
 
Telford 54 is a prominently located 78-acre site in a landscaped setting close to Stafford Park, one of Telford’s major industrial estates. The site lies adjacent to the A464, close to Junction 4 of the M54 – making just two exits away from JLR’s massive site at i54.

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