A series of new businesses will create around 130 new jobs at Durham auto parts maker Gestamp.
The Newton Aycliffe-based company, which makes chassis components, has invested in new machinery to support four new contracts, including long-term projects with Nissan, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover that will support jobs for years to come.
The company said the new projects will create 130 new jobs at its Newton Aycliffe facility, which already employs more than 1,000 people and will also produce more than eight million parts over the next nine years.
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Jonathan Phillips, Gestamp Plant Manager in Aycliffe, said: “We are very excited to win these new contracts which include the introduction of new production and new facilities to our Aycliffe plant.
“Much of the components from these contracts are exported across Europe as well as across the UK, so this is fantastic news for the local economy here in the North East.
“The JLR contract to manufacture aluminum subframes for the Range Rover includes heavy-duty, multi-axis machining using the latest technology, including robotic welding.
Jonathan Phillips, Gestamp Plant Manager in Aycliffe, with some of the new machines his company has invested in at its facility in the Aycliffe Business Park
(Image: Chris Booth / Gestamp)
“The Nissan and BMW projects include robotic welding, hydraulic punching and cold metal transfer welding, and we’ve invested heavily in equipment and training to support these new products.
“The automotive industry is at a turning point where the work being done today is helping to create the cleaner, safer mobility of tomorrow. It is indeed an exciting challenge. ”
The new jobs mark a return to normal trade levels at the company that was forced to lay off last year due to the pandemic.
The Madrid-based group announced in July 2020 that it was holding consultations with 59 affected employees at the Aycliffe Business Park location following a drop in demand for its products during the coronavirus pandemic.
More recently, however, Gestamp announced investments in its local Tallent Academy to support and improve the training of its employees. The investments include research and development capacities, robot cells, specialized welding stations, tool facilities, a medical area, physiotherapy suites, consultation rooms and an “R&R” wellness zone.
It is focused on providing a world class education and research facility to support Gestamp UK’s operational and strategic goals.
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The original factory in Aycliffe was founded by Roy Tallent in 1948 and made fancy goods before the Colston family took ownership in 1955, making household appliances, paraffin heaters, washing machines, stovetops, microwaves and gas fire boxes.
Gestamp’s Aycliffe site is one of more than 100 in 24 countries and 13 R&D centers and employs more than 40,000 people worldwide.
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