Helical unveils new research base
A LANCASHIRE business that makes engine and exhaust components for Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin has opened a multi-million pound technical centre in Warton near Preston.
Helical Technology’s Warton Technical Centre features an 18,000 sq ft test area, a 37,600 sq ft prototype and manufacturing workshop, a drive-by noise test track and two-storey office block.
The business, which designs and manufactures actuators for turbochargers and valve rotators for engines, plans to use the centre to develop products and plot market growth, particularly in North America where it already works with engine maker Cummins and digger manufacturer Caterpillar.
It has been backed by Yorkshire Bank, including a £2m working capital injection to support the latest expansion.
Tobias Morris, chief executive of the Helical Warton Technical Centre, said: “Yorkshire Bank has been highly influential over the years by providing funding that has enabled us to continue investing in manufacturing technology. This has enabled us to increase our production of actuators and valve rotators in a competitive global market.
“The various funding arrangements with Yorkshire Bank have also supported further investment in the research and development of new precision engineering products such as exhaust valves. Innovation-led developments are forging new business opportunities, particularly in the field of electronic actuation in noise and turbocharger control.”
Helical, which employs 175 staff and has another site in Lytham, has seen UK and global sales grow to £24m and £40m respectively and expects revenue to rise by a further 5% in 2013. The business was founded in 1962 by chairman and Tobias’ grandfather, James Mills Morris, and it is still owned by the Morris family.
