Tata Steel builds on future with £4m investment at Black Country site
Tata Steel has pumped £4 million into building a new robot welding line at its Wednesfield Steelpark that will produce more than two million car parts a year.
The investment has already created 16 jobs across the Steelpark site and bosses are looking to hire up to 20 experienced production operatives to join the 525-strong workforce.
Wolverhampton North East MP Emma Reynolds hailed the project, saying: "This shows real commitment to this site and to being based in Wolverhampton.
"It is good news for local people and people working in the wider supply chain."
With Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden she joined Tata executives in welcoming representatives from around 60 businesses to the site, including BMW, Honda and Jaguar Land Rover, to see the new line in action.
The new robot welding line is already working at around 90 per cent of capacity producing parts that will become inside door panels for BMW's Mini 1 and Mini Cooper. When it hits full speed in the next couple of weeks it will be able to produce 2.3 million parts a year.
It produces tailor welded blanks – sheets of steel of different thicknesses and strengths – for use by car makers.
Lead operator on the robot welding line is Mark Beckham, from Bushbury. He said: "It's good to know the company is investing. It is a positive sign."
