Coventry is to be the centre of operations for the recently merged business handling sales and servicing for machine tool companies Mori Seiki of Japan and Germany’s Gildemeister as part of the firm’s expansion plans.
Advised by Lodders Solicitors in Stratford-upon-Avon, the move sees three UK sites consolidated onto Middlemarch Business Park, with a £5 million investment inclusive of a high-spec 35,000 sq ft warehouse and office complex which is undergoing a £1 million refit.
A new joint venture company means DMG UK – Gildemeister’s selling/service organisation traded as DMG – and MS UK are now trading as DMG Mori Seiki (UK).
DMG Mori Seiki (UK) has around 100 employees.
The purchase of the building, 4030 Siskin Parkway East, Middlemarch Business Park, was put together with legal advice from Lodders real estate partner Paul Mourton.
The site was sold by C J Haughey Group Ltd and the original developers were P & O Property Holdings Ltd. Mori Seiki has paid £3.7 million for the remainder of a 999 year lease granted in 1997 and pays a peppercorn rent.
A company spokesman said job numbers were likely to increase in line with continuing growth in business volumes.
“This is a significant investment for the future. The Midlands was the ideal location for our operations,” he said.
Paul Mourton of Lodders added: “DMG Mori Seiki (UK) is at the cutting edge of machine tool technology.
“There are significant opportunities in the UK following renewed Government emphasis on the importance of building back the manufacturing base, and the company is well placed to capitalise on this.
“We were very pleased to be able to advise such a prestige client whose parent companies have a global reputation for quality and excellence.”
Mori Seiki group has its head office in Nagoya, Japan. Founded in 1948 it has three Japanese factories, Iga, Nara and Chiba. It has been supplying machine tools in the UK for nearly 30 years, specialising in CNC metal cutting machines. It employs 4,650 worldwide.
Gildemeister is also a leading world producer of cutting machine tools, operating globally and with more than 6,250 employees.
The two entered into a strategic partnership in 2009. The deal to combine the pair’s machine tool sales and services in Europe was announced last year.
DMG Mori Seiki Europe has a joint head office at Dubendorf in Switzerland.
Button Legal in Coventry acted for C J Haughey Group Ltd and the selling agents were Bromwich Hardy.