LoneStar to shine in £7.5m headquarters

The new headquarters and manufacturing and distribution centre of excellence will be built in Wednesbury, near junction nine of the M6.

Employees from the company's existing sites in the Black Country – two at Willenhall and another at Bilston – will transfer to the new site along with staff from the existing head office in Kennicott House in Wednesfield. The development is due to be completed by next summer.

Sandwell's jobs boss, Councillor Ian Jones, said the news was a 'major boost'.

The company manufactures and supplies high-performance fasteners, sealing and precision-engineered components to global energy markets. Refurbishment, building and modernisation work will start in February to create a new 115,000 sq ft facility at Universal Point in Steelmans Road, near Ikea.

Mike Curnyn, LoneStar's global vice-president of operations, said: "The Black Country is a fantastic place to do business.

"We will create a modern manufacturing and distribution facility in a central location, and with it the opportunity – by integrating our three businesses in the West Midlands – to safeguard hundreds of jobs and build a successful platform for future growth and development."

The new plant will feature high-class manufacturing and laboratory facilities, warehousing and offices. The site is currently occupied by Aqualux Products, which will leave early in the new year and is no more than 4.2 miles from LoneStar's existing head office and West Midlands subsidiaries PRD Fasteners Ltd at Monmer Close, Willenhall, Eurofast Petrochemical Supplies Limited at Planetary Industrial Estate, Willenhall, and Triplefast International Ltd at Oxford Street Industrial Estate, Bilston.

Mr Curnyn added: "We are very excited about the plan to relocate and consolidate our operations at Wednesbury. Our new plant will provide us with increased manufacturing capability, excellent facilities and a superb working environment for our highly skilled, committed workforce in the West Midlands."

Councillor Ian Jones, cabinet member for jobs and economy at Sandwell Council, said: "This excellent news for Wednesbury is a major boost and comes at a time when considerable investment is being attracted into the town, such as the scheme at Opus Blueprint at junction nine.

"LoneStar is a world-leading manufacturer, and for them to build a global headquarters and distribution centre in Sandwell is a major boost for Wednesbury and local shopping centre."