George Howarth, MP for Knowsley, received a warm welcome last week (Friday 16th June) when he visited Tratos’ Knowsley factory, Merseyside, UK to witness the multi-million-pound investment by the company.
Tratos, which began structural expansion work at the plant in 2015, has extended the factory four-fold, bringing an additional 150,000 sq ft of new industrial and office space into use. The investment has resulted in 40 new jobs.
The visit by Mr Howarth coincided with the completion of the work and included a tour of the factory to view additional investment in new equipment for cable making and testing. Mr Howarth took time out to speak with staff and understand more about cable manufacturing.
Tratos’ cable manufacturing now benefits from a large specialist drum twister for making steel wire armour cables – capable of twisting cables up to 400sqmm; a further extrusion line for outer sheaths and an insulation line. The new equipment was installed, commissioned and commenced operation at the end of 2016.
The British factory is also home to the company’s UK technical facilities comprising standard tests for voltage, spark test and resistance, as well as more complex testing for elongation, heat shock, shrink back and vertical flame tests. A new Faraday cage at the site will complete the test equipment installation.
Commenting upon the visit Mr Howarth said: “Today’s visit provided an opportunity to return to the Knowsley factory which I last visited in 2013. I was interested to understand how the factory has expanded over the past two years and to learn more about modern day cable manufacturing in our region. It is welcome that this investment has also led to further jobs in Knowsley.”
Kevin Martin, Tratos Finance Director said: “The level of investment we have made within the UK demonstrates our commitment to this country. For Tratos it’s about investing in our products and our people and keeping our customers at the heart of all we do. We are delighted to welcome Mr Howarth to Knowsley today. He was interested in what we have built and our plans moving forward for the business. As always we appreciate his time and support.”
The quality of the Tratos development was recognised by the Knowsley Business and Regeneration Awards in November 2015 where the company received the award for Commercial Development of the Year.
Tratos’ UK business aims to achieve a turnover of £100 million by the end of 2018 which is an increase in £70 million over four years with further planned expansion into railways, medium/high voltage energy cables in the utility and oil and gas sectors.
