Business Excellence Member Company News: £4 Million Investment at NGF EUROPE in St Helens
NGF EUROPE Ltd, the Merseyside-based glass cord manufacturer, part of the NSG Group, has announced an investment of £4 million at its site in St Helens, with the creation of 24 new jobs
The site will become the first fully-integrated high tensile strength glass cord manufacturing factory in Europe and the only such facility outside Japan. NGF EUROPE’s main customers include original equipment automotive suppliers manufacturing timing belts (cam belts), and tyres.
The investment, which has been made possible by a £500,000 Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative grant (part of the UK Government Regional Growth Fund), will add a fibre-forming facility at the site, an important primary process in glass cord manufacture, involving the production of glass fibre filament.
The growth in the market for high tensile strength glass cord created by the ever-increasing technological developments in the automotive market has led to the decision to invest in a facility which will manufacture the filament from raw materials.
The new facility will shorten production times with the site reducing its dependency on filament delivery from NSG in Japan and reduce transport costs and environmental impact, in line with NSG Group’s Sustainability agenda.
“The investment confirms our commitment to our customers in Europe and will ensure that our business remains at the forefront of technological development and is able to respond to customer demands and expectations. Furthermore, we are pleased that we are able to expand our advanced manufacturing capabilities in the Liverpool City Region and continue to invest in our successful apprenticeship scheme,” said NGF EUROPE Ltd managing director, Alistair Poole.
Work will begin on the new facility in September and the new fibre forming line is expected to be commissioned in June 2013.
Recruitment for the 24 new posts will begin in January.
