Worcestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership has expressed delight at the announcement from Morgan Advanced Materials that it has chosen Stourport as the location for a new ‘Global Materials Centre of Excellence’.
Stourport was selected from a shortlist of six international manufacturing locations, beating off competition from China, North America and Germany. The UK was chosen because of its favourable business legislative environment (particularly in relation to intellectual property rights), and talent pool. Strong support for the project from Wyre Forest MP, Mark Garnier, was also recognised as a factor.
The Centre of Excellence is expected to become operational later this year. It will initially create up to ten new jobs and this will increase as the Centre develops. The new Centre will better enable the Group to serve its global customer base by developing new materials technologies for structural ceramics applications.
Gary Woodman, Executive Director of the Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, says: “Worcestershire is proud to yet again be recognised as a top location for advanced manufacturing businesses. Morgan’s decision to build its new centre in the north of the county, in Stourport, is an endorsement of that expertise and is welcomed by the LEP. We are always keen to encourage businesses to set up in the county and investments such as Morgan’s will underline our credentials and help raise the profile of Worcestershire as an ideal investment destination.”
