Offsite engineering specialist Merit is expanding its factory in Cramlington, Northumberland, by 4,000 sq m.
The factory is already the largest construction manufacturing facility in the UK at 25,000 sq m, according to Merit. But more space is needed to meet increasing demand. Merit has doubled its workforce in the last two years and expects this expansion to add more than 50 jobs.
The extended high-bay facility will accommodate two new manufacturing lines for Merit’s UltraPOD+ product, an expandable full building solution, and will enable the pre-assembly and testing of two modules vertically stacked. This will provide the firm with a better understanding of the alignment of modules before transporting them to site. Additional equipment, including two 50t gantry cranes and a module lifting frame, are part of the extension.
Merit expects the new facility to be operational by April.
Tony Wells, CEO of Merit, said: “Merit’s strategic objective is to deliver a step change in productivity within the construction industry and to show that investment in R&D and leveraging innovative approaches, such as advanced 4D BIM modelling technology, can lead to significant improvements.
“Our factory expansion will enable us to further optimise our way of working and better serve our customers.”
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