Engineering centre deal signed with US manufacturer
A PROPERTY deal has been agreed which will see US firm Waters Corporation acquire a new industrial building in south Birmingham.
The new complex on Longbridge Business Park is being developed by St Modwen and will be used as a new precision engineering centre.
Waters Corporation is a manufacturer of analytical instruments and software and has been serving the life, materials and food sciences sectors for more than 60 years.
The multinational company headquartered in the US has more than 7,800 employees worldwide including around 1,000 employed at multiple facilities in England and Ireland.
The new operation in Longbridge, which received planning consent in the summer, will create over 100 skilled jobs and cement the company’s interests in the West Midlands where it already has a base in Solihull. Construction is due to start early next year and is scheduled to open in 2024.
The 45,000 sq ft building will deliver a 300 per cent increase in available space for the Massachusetts firm compared to its existing premises in Solihull. Terms of the property deal were not disclosed.
Elliot Sellars, development director at St Modwen, said: “This exciting new precision engineering facility for Waters will bring further specialist expertise to Longbridge.
“As the entire Longbridge regeneration continues, it is encouraging to see industry-leading businesses choosing this developing location as their base for operations.
“It’s good news for the local and regional economies and will ensure that the work undertaken by St Modwen in recent years will benefit the area for many years to come.”
Longbridge Business Park is being developed next to the A38 opposite the existing technology park and is expected to create up to 5,000 new jobs upon completion. Work has already started on building a new veterinary hospital and research facility for IVC Evidensia on the park.
It forms part of the wider £1 billion regeneration of Longbridge by St Modwen on the former MG Rover works site.