A leading biotech healthcare firm has opened its new £14 million headquarters in Crumlin.
BBI Group, which offers a range of services to the diagnostic and research healthcare industry, had been headquartered in Cardiff and has manufacturing sites in Blaenavon, Cardiff and Dundee.
As part of the multimillion pound move, supported by a £1.8m Welsh Government grant, the company has centralised all of its operations to the Border Technology Park, on Pen-y-fan Industrial Estate – creating a new global headquarters.
The move to the new premises will see BBI’s headcount in Wales increase from 280 to 360 by 2020, bringing with it over 50 new skilled jobs to the South Wales Valleys.
Speaking at the site’s opening, Ken Skates AM, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, said: “As a highly successful company with a turnover of more than £60m and a strategically important player in the global life science sector, BBI Group is already a made-in-Wales success story.
“I am delighted that Welsh Government support has enabled the company to establish its global headquarters here and centralise its manufacturing and development activities in Crumlin, bringing new and high quality job opportunities to the South Wales Valleys.
“This is absolutely in line with the ambitions of our high level plan Our Valleys Our Future, and with the aspirations of my Economic Action Plan, which aims to ensure that the fruits of economic prosperity fall much more evenly across Wales.
“The Economic Action Plan is also clear about the economic growth opportunities of attracting global headquarters to Wales and our ambition to build on our success in this area.
“I am delighted to see BBI Group’s new state of the art facility in Crumlin first hand and wish the company every success its new home.”
BBI Group Chairman Alan Peterson said: “The opening of our new Global Headquarters is a significant step towards realising our strategic long-term growth plans. It gives us the opportunity to compete more effectively in our key markets in Europe, USA and China.
“The Crumlin site enables BBI to drive our customers’ future growth by expanding our capacity to provide key reagents and services for the healthcare diagnostics industry. We’re delighted that our Global Headquarters is now open and we are able to contribute to the local economy and offer quality job opportunities to the local community.”
Nice to see a Global Company investing in the valleys and proof that not all companies are pandering to the scaremongering “damage that Brexit will cause”scenario.
Forward and positive thinking businesses will always prosper.
It is only those with a negative attitude that will fall by the wayside post Brexit.