A firm of Herefordshire toolmakers will more than double in size and create new jobs with a move onto the city’s Enterprise Zone.
Work is under way to create a 2,600 sq ft manufacturing and office facility for Pearson Precision Toolmakers Ltd at Skylon Park in Rotherwas.
Three generations of the Pearson family – father Benjamin, son Conrad and grandson Samuel – currently run the 15-year-old business from a rented 1,100 sq ft unit in Ravenswood Court.
Pearson Precision counts major brands including Bosch, Jaguar LandRover, Honda, British Aerospace and British Nuclear Power, among its customers.
It specialises in precision engineering, mould making and repairs using a variety of machines including CNC lathes and mills, CAD/CAM, laser welding, tig welding, wire erosion and spark erosion.
The building of the new premises at Coldnose Road is also a family venture – it is being built by a property development firm run by Conrad’s brother, Ben.
Conrad Pearson said the move was an exciting development for the firm.
“We currently have three full time and two part time staff and are already interviewing apprentices so we can expand the business when we move into the new premises.
“This is a major investment for the business. Skylon Park is a great location for us as it keeps us at the heart of the network of major moulders we work with including AK Industries , Fluidmaster UK, the Helping Hand Company and Deyn Plastics, which are all based in Rotherwas,” he explained.
Skylon Park is the 72-hectare site designated as the Enterprise Zone of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, the private sector-led organisation tasked with revitalising the economy of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.
It has already attracted major developments including a regional centre for Western Power Distribution and construction industry supplier Marches Global.
Beck Products, a leading UK supplier to the construction and horticultural industries, also has a base on the Park. A number of other projects are also under construction.
Chairman of the Enterprise Zone Board, Bill Jackson, said: “This new investment is great news for Skylon Park and illustrates the flexibility it has to provide a home to businesses of all shapes and sizes.
“The move by Pearson Precision will support our aim of providing a world class business landscape so businesses can grow and thrive and to create more jobs for local people.”