Global firm investing £3m in new test centre in Dudley

The 23,000 sq ft purpose-designed centre has been built at Yorks Business Park in Blower's Green Road and is due to start offering services to customers in August.

Exova is expanding its team of corrosion experts in Dudley from 10 to 23 and is currently recruiting eight additional personnel for the new centre including corrosion engineers and technicians.

Testing expert Helene Jones was last month named general manager of the two existing corrosion testing facilities in Dudley at Halesowen Road, Netherton and Blackbrook Business Park.

She joined from a role within Eurofins Environmental Testing and has more than 20 years' experience in the chemistry and testing sectors.

Exova Dudley is one of the world's leading authorities in the testing of pipeline materials for the oil and gas industry, offering a range of specialist services from mechanical testing to a full range of corrosion testing and advisory services.

"This is an exciting time to be joining Exova's Dudley operations as we continue a major investment programme in corrosion testing.

"With its billion-pound repair bill globally, corrosion is top of the international agenda for many businesses, and I look forward to improving and building upon the services we provide to a range of national and international customers."

Robin McGill, European director of Exova's energy, oil and gas division, said: "With a proven track record in delivering business growth, establishing new facilities and driving operational performance, Helene brings the skills required to help us deliver our growth potential in both our new and existing Dudley facilities."

The new world class corrosion centre has been created to service increasing global demand.

It is relocating from its existing premises in Halesowen Road which will continue as a materials testing laboratory.

More than 30 specialists will remain there providing meetallurgical testing to customers around the world

The new facility will deliver a significant increase in autoclave capacity, routine corrosion testing as well as slow rate strain and full ring testing.

The business is just about to begin transferring equipment to the new site and fitting out the building.

The new centre has also led to the creation of the Exova Academy, which is aimed at nurturing and training future generations of corrosion engineers for Exova and on behalf of its international customers.

Exova's European director for oil and gas, Robin McGill, said Exova Dudley would be a global centre of expertise in corrosion testing. "It will provide technical and business support to our businesses around the world.

"We have had a small lab in Dudley for more than 10 years and the new larger centre will process metal samples from our companies around the world.

"It will support oil and glass exploration around the world. Companies are having to go to ever more difficult places to get oil and gas.

"As pipes go deeper the environment gets hotter and more corrosive. Metal, especially in sub-sea pipelines, has to be up to the job and before companies go to the expense of putting them in they have to check everything and our job is to make sure the equipment will survive,"he said.

Mr McGill said its Dudley businesses would now run as one operation. It currently employs 80 in total in the borough.

• Featured local business - Swindon Golf Club in Dudley