Tentec to swap West Bromwich for i54 in £10 million move
A bolt engineering firm, born in West Bromwich nearly three decades ago, is the latest company to head for a £10 million new home on the i54 site.
It comes just days after it was revealed that Willenhall locks firm ERA was also to move out of its historic home for a shiny new headquarters on i54, on the border of Wolverhampton and south Staffordshire.
Both firms are taking their workforce with them as they join the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, aerospace firm Moog and stamp printers ISP on the site.
A 46,000 sq ft state-of-the-art factory unit will be built to provide production and office space for Tentec and its 80 staff.
It follows a deal agreed with Tentec's parent company, the Swedish engineering group Atlas Copco. And Tentec says it expects staff numbers to grow as the operation expands.
Halesowen-based property company Mucklow Group will be developing the property on behalf of Atlas Copco and Tentec, with a collective investment of more than £10 million.
Tentec was formed over 28 years ago and the company designs, manufactures and distributes hydraulic bolt tensioning tools from its existing site in Guns Lane, West Bromwich.
Its equipment is used on industrial sites, wind turbines and offshore oil rigs, as well as deep sea operations.
But it has also worked on the redevelopment of the Tate Modern art gallery and helped build the world's tallest flagpole, the 560ft Jeddah Flagpole in Saudi Arabia. It was bought by Atlas Copco in 2013.
An Atlas Copco statement said: "As part of its commitment to grow Tentec's manufacturing leadership, the Atlas Copco group is supporting investment in the construction and fit-out of a new larger facility at i54.
"The new facility at i54 will be built by Mucklow Group and it has been designed as a state-of-the-art facility, which meets all of Tentec's current requirements for production space and offices along with room for future expansion of the business."
The three councils behind the success of i54 – City of Wolverhampton, Staffordshire County and South Staffordshire – say they are delighted.
Councillor John Reynolds, Wolverhampton's head of economy, said: "The news that Tentec is moving to i54 makes it a double boost for our advanced manufacturing hub, on the back of ERA agreeing a deal earlier this week.
"Staffordshire County Council's economic growth leader, Mark Winnington, added: "The i54 South Staffordshire success story continues and we are seeing near full occupancy on site."
Councillor Robert McCardle from South Staffordshire Council added: "The partnership between the three councils has been very successful, bringing investment and jobs."
