Planning permission for a new £60m manufacturing facility in Solihull has been given to Aero Engine Controls, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Goodrich.
Planning permission for a new £60m manufacturing facility in Solihull has been given to Aero Engine Controls, a joint venture between Rolls-Royce and Goodrich.
Aero Engine Controls, which currently has four sites in the UK, will make the new factory in Birmingham Business Park, Solihull, its new headquarters.
The firm has now begun the selection process to find a main contractor to start building the new headquarters later this year. It is anticipated that about 70 construction jobs will be created during the build of the new facility.
Aero Engine Controls will start re-locating over 1,100 staff at its current site in the West Midlands to its new facility during 2014. The 250,000ft² building will incorporate technology, design, development, manufacturing and testing capabilities, with associated expansion space.
Simon Burr, CEO at Aero Engine Controls: “Having our Birmingham design and manufacturing operations under one roof, combined with more space and a state-of-the-art facility will allow us to be much more efficient and strengthen our ability to attract employees.”
“We’re delighted our planning application has been approved,” he added. “This is fantastic news for everybody at AEC and we can now look towards growing the business for the future.”
Councillor Ken Meeson, leader of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, said that the firm’s investment will encourage more people in the local area to consider manufacturing as a career. “We are confident that as AEC’s business grows, they will be able to find the skills and expertise they need for the future, and inspire more young people to pursue careers in engineering and design,” he said.
Growth at the company is set to benefit the cluster of aerospace and automotive firms in the region, with Jaguar Land Rover investing heavily in the region. Aero Engine Controls currently spends £65m each year in the UK sourcing raw materials, parts and services to manufacture engine control systems for commercial and private aeroplanes, helicopters and unmanned aircraft.
Welcoming the news from the turboshaft engine-maker, Caroline Spelman, MP for Meriden, said: “This is good news for the Meriden constituency and the wider West Midlands region, showing the confidence of business to invest in the potential of our area with its history of skilled manufacturing and convenient location.”
