7th February 2017
BBI invests in new HQ
BBI Group is set to consolidate its manufacturing operations into a single site in South Wales as part of an £8.5m investment, supported by Welsh Government funding.
The company, which develops and makes products and technologies for the global diagnostic market, is currently headquartered in Cardiff and has a number of manufacturing facilities in the UK.
It now plans to relocate to the Border Technology Park, Crumlin, centralising its manufacturing and development activities from Blaenavon, Cardiff and Dundee and creating a centre of excellence for multiple technology streams and a new global headquarters.
The investment is supported by a £1.8m grant from the Welsh Government. BBI’s Welsh workforce is expected to increase from 180 to 366 by 2020 as a result.
Lyn Rees, chief executive of BBI Solutions, said: “This investment represents a significant step towards realising our strategic goals. Through investing in our manufacturing footprint in Wales we are increasing our capacity to support long term growth.
“Our new state of the art facility in Crumlin will allow us to operate more efficiently and to a higher regulatory standard, giving us the pedigree to compete more effectively in our expanding markets across Europe, US and China. It also has excellent links to the M4 corridor and Cardiff International Airport.”
Economy cabinet secretary Ken Skates added: “I am particularly pleased WG support helped secure this significant investment for Wales. Founded in 1986 as a Cardiff University spin out, BBI Group has grown to become a £60m turnover company and this expansion project will secure the company’s long term sustainable future in Wales.
“It will not only create and safeguard a significant number of high quality jobs but will also support the local economy through an annual spend of more than £1m with supply chain companies. In addition, the fit out and alterations of the building will support around 75 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the construction industry.”