Hi-tech new base for compressor company to create more than 50 jobs near Sheffield
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Lontra plans to set up a digital services centre on the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Catcliffe and hire graduates and apprentices, reaching the jobs target by 2024.
Bosses say it will be followed by a customer support operation, research and development facilities and a ‘smart’ factory.
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Hide AdThe Warwickshire company makes a compressor using a circular mechanism. It claims to be more energy efficient and reliable than the old ‘up and down’ piston technology.
Its products are used in industries including water treatment, food production, pharmaceutical, chemical and cement manufacture.
The firm has been given a £1.58m taxpayer-funded grant from the Sheffield City Region Local Growth Fund.
It will be put towards the purchase of demonstrator machines which that can control customers’ machines remotely, with the aim of reducing maintenance costs, downtime and energy bills.
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Hide AdChief executive of Lontra, Steve Lindsey, said: “This is the start of an ambitious programme to build our digital services business globally. We could have located it anywhere in the UK or indeed the world, but we chose Sheffield.
“Locating here means having access to an abundance of skilled workers and being able to build our supplier network on a local basis.”
He added: “Sheffield has a strong history of manufacturing excellence and we plan to collaborate with a number of organisations in the area, including the AMRC.
“The city is also well served by good access to motorway networks and the ports, which will be a benefit as the majority of our products produced here will be exported to the US.”
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Hide AdThe firm opened a ‘smart factory’ in Napton, Warwickshire, in 2019 in partnership with Shield Group Engineering. It also has a factory in Tylesley, Birmingham.
Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership chairman, James Muir, said: “This is the first step in a larger investment opportunity that will ultimately see Lontra basing its manufacturing capability here. It is great news that the new digital centre and future manufacturing plant will create many new high value jobs in the region.”