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Tentec headquarters


adds to activity at i54 World-leading Swedish engineering group Atlas Copco has started the build of a new state-of- the-art manufacturing facility at i54 South Staffordshire. It is the third major business in recent months


to begin construction at the advanced manufacturing hub. The development will be the new headquarters


of Tentec Ltd which is one of the leading providers of bolt tensioning solutions globally. The bespoke facility will provide 46,000 sq ft


of high quality production and office space for 80 employees and Tentec expects this number to grow as the operation expands. Midlands property company Mucklow Group is


developing the property on behalf of Atlas Copco and Tentec, with a collective investment of more than £10m. Tentec Ltd, part of the Atlas Copco group, was


formed more than 28 years ago and the company designs, manufactures and distributes a wide range of class leading hydraulic bolt tensioning tools from their existing site in West Bromwich.


‘These are high-end businesses providing skilled local jobs and research and training facilities’


The tools it makes are renowned for their


reliability and accuracy and they are used both on land and in deep sea applications. An award-winning partnership of three councils


is behind the success of i54 South Staffordshire – Staffordshire County Council, City of Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire. The site is also home to Jaguar Land Rover, MOOG, and ISP. Staffordshire County Council’s economic


growth leader, Mark Winnington, said: “The i54 South Staffordshire success story continues and we are seeing near full occupancy on site. These are high-end businesses providing skilled local jobs and research and training facilities. Tentec’s presence at the site furthers its reputation as a leading regional hub for advanced manufacturing and engineering. This is great news for our economy. It again demonstrates that Staffordshire is the place to do business.” Tentec director and general manager David


Jones said: Operations within the facility will encompass R and D development, training and demonstration areas, engineering design, sales and logistics support, extensive manufacturing and assembly processes thus enabling us to provide world class Atlas Copco and Tentec branded products based on sustainable productivity.” The Tentec development follows hot on the


heels of Eurofins, the food testing company, beginning a £1.5m major expansion last month. More than 10,000 sq ft of laboratories will be added to its UK headquarters. The Belgian- owned company moved its operations onto i54 South Staffordshire five years ago.


40 CHAMBERLINK July/August 2017


Briggs raises a glass to Marston’s contract


Cheers: Kevin O’Rourke (left) and Mike Oseland with the first of the new forklifts


Cannock-based Briggs Equipment has secured a £700,000 contract to supply 37 forklift trucks to Midlands’ brewer Marston’s. Marston’s says it used Briggs to supply the new


Yale vehicles because of their reliability, but also because of the approach taken by the supplier. Marston’s warehouse operations manager


Kevin O’Rourke said: “From our own experience over many years we know we can rely on Yale, and Briggs reinforced how it is suited to meeting our requirements by demonstrating the equipment’s fuel consumption and general versatility to excellent effect. “In the current climate, however, we have to


look beyond the equipment to ensure our operation runs smoothly and we meet our targets. “It is the overall package of support we


receive from Briggs that makes such good sense for our business. If we look back to when we first started working together, Briggs today is a very different company. “To be honest, the tender process was really


illuminating, because it opened our eyes to the scope of the Briggs operation and the many


different areas in which it can support us.” The new forklifts will be used at 13 depots, and


will transfer pallets of beer, spirits and soft drinks and keg and cask products to kerbside lorries for onward distribution to the 1,700 Marston’s pub- restaurants and bars around the UK. Briggs Equipment’s key account manager Mike


Oseland said of the contract win: “We carried out a series of site assessments and arranged an equipment trial to confirm key requirements and identify the most suitable machines while also making Marston’s aware of the latest technological advances. “Changes to the truck specifications – such as


fitting LED lights into the mast so that operators can see the final lifting height/position more clearly – helped ensure that all the equipment is user friendly, and working together, in conjunction with specialist providers, we were able to arrive at a truly customised solution.” Increasingly, companies like Marston’s are choosing to partner with a trusted single supplier that has wide expertise and can support them as their business develops.”


Staffordshire in jobs boost


Staffordshire’s inward investment team – responsible for attracting new business to the county and helping existing firms expand – exceeded its jobs target for the last financial year. Today’s unemployment monthly claimant


count statistics show near full employment in Staffordshire at just 1.1 per cent of the county population, the same as last month. This is lower than both West Midlands (2.5 per cent) and national (1.9 per cent) figures. Staffordshire County Council’s economic growth leader Mark Winnington said that


continued near full employment was good news. However, he added that the focus remained on a drive towards the creation of better paid, better skilled jobs – with the inward investment team playing a major part. He said: “It is pleasing to see our inward


investment team exceeding its job target and demonstrates the strength of the local economy. “We have seen some real inward investment


successes over the last 12 months. This ultimately means more and better paid jobs – helping to ensure Staffordshire people are more prosperous.”


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