Firm is moving to the Venture Fields development from its current home in Runcorn after agreeing a pre-let with national logistics developer db symmetry. Tony McDonough reports.

Specialist manufacturer LPW Technology has agreed to take 70,000 sq ft of industrial space close to Widnes town centre in a pre-let agreement with logistics developer db symmetry – with 120 new jobs in the pipeline.

The facility is located in Venture Fields, an 11-acre leisure, advanced manufacturing and distribution scheme that db is developing in a joint venture with Halton Council.

The deal will LPW relocate its headquarters from Runcorn, where it currently occupies 20,000 sq ft. In addition to the new Halton site, LPW locations include a research facility at Sci-Tech Daresbury and overseas operations in the US and sales offices in Germany, Italy with a global reseller network covering the rest of Europe and Asia.

LPW chief executive, Phil Carroll, said: “This is an exciting chapter for the business and the region’s advanced manufacturing sector as a whole.

“Our new facility is dedicated to manufacturing metal powders for additive manufacturing. We are planning to create more than 120 new high-quality jobs by 2018 and this will be the largest single investment in metal additive manufacturing in the UK to date.”

Portal Construction has been appointed as main contractor and is now on site working with AEW architects, Tier Consulting, C4 Consulting and KGA to deliver the new facility, which is scheduled for completion in September.

Having already developed an 18,000 sq ft Pure Gym on site, this development will complete the Venture Fields project for db symmetry.

Andrew Dickman, director at db symmetry, added: “With approximately £70m estimated to be invested in this area to develop commercial, leisure and residential opportunities and key infrastructure projects such as the new Mersey crossing coming forward, Venture Fields is becoming a well-established business destination.

“Securing a pre-let to a highly respected company such as LPW is a ringing endorsement of that.”

B8 Real Estate & CBRE advised db symmetry. LPW was represented by Aherne Property Consultants.