Member Article

Severn Unival opens £2.5m facility in Brighouse

Valve engineering expert Severn Unival has opened a new £2.5m facility in Brighouse, Yorkshire, following significant business growth.

The 60,000 square foot purpose-built premises have been designed to foster greater efficiency and technical advancement.

A dedicated Valve Innovation Centre located on the site will be home to the firm’s newly appointed research and development (R&D) team.

Resources include a strategically planned, well-equipped factory with an integrated crane system. Workstation layout was developed in consultation with shop floor workers in line with lean manufacturing principles.

And for the sales, management, technical and administrative teams, a three-storey office building has been carefully designed to make maximum use of natural light.

The move has seen the co-location of butterfly valve specialist Severn-Leeds Valve (acquired in June 2012) and Severn Unival into a 104-strong team. Additional group businesses including Mars Valve, Utilities Valves and Severn Ball Valves will also have a presence at the facility.

R&D will be held at the heart of operations going forward, as Severn Unival focuses on generating intelligent aftermarket valve solutions for challenging industries.

The new facilities will enable fast-track testing of new concepts and prototypes and the firm will continue to draw on its close links with Huddersfield University.

Managing director Colin Findlay says the Severn Unival and Severn-Leeds Valve teams have been energised by the move, which will allow the businesses to explore new opportunities.

“This marks the start of an exciting new chapter,” says Findlay. “We pride ourselves on our world-class engineering skills, and now we have world-class facilities to boot. The future is looking very bright – we have a healthy order book and our new premises will enable us to broaden our horizons.”

Severn Unival and Severn-Leeds Valve are part of the Severn Glocon Group, which employs 800 people worldwide and won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2011.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .