Car parts manufacturer Gestamp is investing in a range of new manufacturing developments to support four major new contracts.
Gestamp – a multinational company which specialises in the design, development and manufacture of highly engineered metal components for the automotive industry – has secured new long-term projects from Nissan, BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, which will support local jobs for years to come.
The new projects will support more than 130 jobs at Gestamp’s huge Aycliffe facility that already employs more than 1,000 people and will manufacture more than eight million parts over the next nine years.
“We’re delighted to win these new contracts which involves the introduction of new productions and new facilities within our Aycliffe plant,” said Gestamp’s Aycliffe plant director Jonathan Phillips
The new projects means Gestamp is looking to take on 130 new recruits, supporting local employment.
Jonathan Phillips added: “Much of the components from these contracts will be exported all around Europe as well as across the UK, so this is fantastic news for the local economy here in the North-East.
“The JLR contract, producing aluminium sub-frames for the Range Rover, will involve heavy, multi-axis machining content using the latest technology including robotic welding.
“The Nissan and BMW projects will involve robotic welding, hydraulic piercing and cold metal transfer welding, and we have invested significantly in equipment and training to be accommodate these new products.”
“The automotive sector is at a turning point where the work being done today is helping to shape the cleaner and safer mobility of tomorrow. This is indeed an exciting challenge.”
Gestamp has a local Tallent Academy, which recently announced a new investment to support and improve the training of its employees that will include research and development capabilities, robot cells, specialist welding bays, tooling facilities, a medical area, physiotherapy suites, counselling rooms and an ‘R&R’ wellbeing zone.
It is focused on providing a world class training and research facility to support Gestamp UK’s operational and strategic objectives.
Gestamp was founded in 1997 with the goal of being a global supplier with a focus on technology. Since that time, it has grown steadily, progressively adding new products and technologies.
The original factory in Aycliffe was formed in 1948 by Roy Tallent and manufactured fancy goods before the Colston Family took ownership in 1955 and produced domestic appliances, paraffin heaters, washing machines, cooker hobs, microwaves and gas fire cases.
Gestamp’s Aycliffe site is one of more than 100 across 24 countries, as well as 13 R&D centres and a workforce of more than 40,000 employees worldwide. Its turnover was €7,456m in 2020.
• Pictured above: Gestamp Aycliffe plant director Jonathan Phillips with some of the new machinery his firm has invested in at its Aycliffe Business Park facility. Pic by Chris Booth.