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Invertek invests £10m to boost capacity and create 85 jobs
Published:  20 December, 2021

The Welsh drives-maker Invertek Drives is investing £10m to expand the manufacturing and distribution facilities at its global headquarters in Welshpool, and to develop a new application centre. The investment will create 85 new jobs over the coming year, adding to the 280 who already work at the site, and follows a recruitment drive over the past year to expand the company’s production and r&d departments.

The investment will include three new production lines, each consisting of six assembly cells. These will boost Invertek’s production capacity from 350,000 to 600,000 drives a year.

Invertek says that the investment is sign of the continuing commitment by Sumitomo Heavy Industries – which acquired Invertek in 2019 – to make its Welsh subsidiary a leader in developing and manufacturing variable-speed drives.

“We’ve seen significant growth in sales and turnover over the past 18 months, despite the global pandemic,” reports Invertek CEO, Shaun Dean, who is also senior vice-president of Sumitomo Heavy Industries and CEO of Sumitomo’s Power Transmission and Controls Group. “Invertek’s approach to maintaining strategic stock of components has ensured we’ve been able to continue manufacturing our Optidrive range of VFDs (variable-frequency drives), despite the global supply chain problems currently facing many manufacturers.

“Invertek continues to commit to investing heavily in the innovation, development and manufacturing of VFD technology,” he adds. “This is part of our drive to create the leading next-generation VFD technology that will help to further reduce energy use and associated CO2 emissions globally.”

The expansion of Invertek’s manufacturing facilities comes just three years after it completed work on a 5,500m2 manufacturing and distribution facility next to its existing site at Offa’s Dyke Business Park. Invertek will now buy this building from the Welsh Government, which constructed it and leased it to Invertek.

The Welsh economy minister, Vaughan Gething, says “it’s excellent news that that Invertek Drives have seen such growth and that the sale of this property will facilitate Invertek’s future investment and expansion plans at Offa’s Dyke”.

The new application centre “will showcase our products for existing and potential customers, as well as featuring technical and training facilities,” explains Dean. “This will act as a global hub for our sales and marketing, technical support, and training teams.”

Part of the new investment will be used to expand Invertek’s innovation and r&d facilities. This is in addition to new research and development laboratories – including a dedicated motor room, and a test and validation centre – which have already been completed over the past two years.

Invertek Drives’ £10m investment will see further expansion of its global headquarters in Welshpool

“In 2022, we will see further investment globally in our sales network,” Dean adds. “We have already witnessed the rapid growth of Invertek Drives USA, with an expanding HQ near Chicago. We are also investing further throughout the EMEIA region where there continues to be significant growth and opportunities.”

Invertek Drives was founded in 1998 and has grown year-on-year since then.

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