Aerospace firm shuts factory to create ‘super site’
AEROSPACE group Meggitt is planning to close one of its factories in Birmingham to create a new £130 million “super site” in Coventry.
The company says it intends to close its base in Wharfdale Road, Tyseley, and two other factories in Coventry and Maidenhead and consolidate them into the new plant.
It estimates around 1,000 staff will be based at the new 440,00 sq ft facility on Ansty Park, north east of Coventry city centre.
Some of the expansion plans have been announced by the company today but the closure of its Birmingham factory was outlined in a leaked internal memo penned by chief operating officer Tony Wood and sent to our sister title the Coventry Telegraph. Meggitt manufactures components and systems for customers in the aerospace, defence and energy markets and employs 11,000 people across Asia, Europe and North America.
It is aiming to bring together a range of manufacturing operations, aircraft braking systems, control systems, customer services and support and corporate shared spaces.
The Ansty Park facility will have an engineering and manufacturing centre of excellence and capability for aerospace thermal management technology. The company is hoping to relocate staff at the three plants earmarked for closure hub at Ansty Park.
There are around 200 staff based at the Tyseley plant and the company hopes they will all be relocated.
It is not thought the company’s other plants in Birmingham are affected by this latest announcement. Consultation with staff will now take place and continue into early next year with the new site set to be operational by the end of 2019.
Mr Wood in a statement : “We are proud of our heritage, both in the UK and here in the Midlands, which has underpinned our ability to secure strong market positions on new aircraft programmes.
“This planned new facility marks a major advance in the development of our global manufacturing footprint and strategically positions us for sustainable growth. to the new