Manufacturer commissions new factory to support expansion
A specialist manufacturer which supplies commercial interiors for airports, trains, offices and the education sector, is expanding with the development of a new factory in Shropshire.
Bakerbellfield has seen a surge in demand for its products, prompting the need for expansion.
It will invest £1.6m into a new 20,000 sq ft facility and has commissioned Shrewsbury-based contractor Morris Property to build the new factory at Telford’s Hortonwood West industrial estate.
The company already occupies a 50,000 sq ft factory unit elsewhere on the estate, which it plans to retain to provide capacity for sustained growth.
The new unit will be built on Hortonwood 6 and Morris Property starts work on site this month. The unit will comprise offices, car park and service yard, with completion expected next spring.
Peter Baker, chairman of Bakerbellfield, said: “Our workload has increased enormously with future orders coming in. We did look for alternative premises to give us more space but we could not find the right size.
“We decided on a purpose-built factory and chose Morris Property because of its experience and reputation for quality work. It is also a family business like we are and shares similar values.”
The development will create seven to ten skilled jobs to supplement Bakerbellfield’s 65-strong workforce.
Bakerbellfield, part of the Rekab Group, was established in 1984 and followed this five years later with the construction of its Telford factory. The company supplies products including check-in-counters, security lane furniture and wall linings for high profile sites such as Heathrow Airport. It also undertakes an equal amount of work in the rail sector with the interior fittings of trains.
Steve Flavell, construction manager at Morris Property said: “We are delighted that Bakerbellfield has appointed us to build the new factory to support its growth. We have already delivered two units at Hortonwood West for Telford and Wrekin Council so we know the site well.”
Cyril Orchard Group is the agent and quantity surveyor for the scheme.
Morris Property is part of a fifth generation family business working in property investment and management, new build residential and commercial developments and restoration schemes.
Pictured at the turf-cutting ceremony are, from left: Dave Fletcher – site manager, Kaye Baker – director of Rekab, Peter Baker – chairman of Bakerbellfield, Steve Flavell – construction manager and James West – Chief Operating Officer, both Morris Property.
