Bill Scott’s Wilton Group has bought a 58-acre manufacturing facility next door to its Teesside base, creating up to 200 new jobs.
The move will boost its capacity and capabilities for the renewable energy, defence and logistics sectors.
The multi-disciplinary engineering services company has acquired the facility on Haverton Hill, which will create a combined 112-acre site on the banks of the River Tees, from EEW Special Pipe Constructions GmbH, the parent company of EEW Offshore Structures (Britain) Ltd.
Wilton has built a powerful reputation for the manufacture, industrial coating and loadout of large complex steel fabrications for industries such as offshore wind, oil & gas, subsea and the defence sector.
With the potential to generate up to 200 new jobs, the site, which includes large workshops, a blast and paint facility, slipways and a wet dock, will be utilised for projects in the offshore wind, tidal, hydrogen and other green energy sectors as well as enabling Wilton to increase its capacity for its growing pipeline of contracts from the defence industry.
The site will also maximise its enormous capacity for logistics and storage capability to service its existing and future client base.
The group’s surface preparation and protective coatings specialist, Universal Coatings & Services, will operate the 1,700 square metre paint facility to further increase capacity alongside its existing 11,500 square metre blast and coating operation.
The extensive site contains some of the largest production halls in the UK and has land for further expansion or to welcome other companies who would benefit from its riverside location within the Freeport Zone.
The Haverton Hill site opened in 1917, originally a shipyard building some of the largest bulk storage carriers in the world. It remained operational until 1979 and since then a number of companies have operated out of the facility.
Wilton Universal Group was supported in the transaction with finance from FW Capital and a grant from the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority Combined Authority. Legal advice was provided by Muckle LLP.
Bill Scott OBE, chief executive of Wilton Universal Group, said: “This significant expansion of our facilities will create the capacity to secure more work in key markets. We have a strong pipeline of opportunities in the defence industry, but we are also confident that we can utilise this additional facility to deliver more complex fabricated structures for the offshore renewables sector, given the chance.
“This transaction also supports the long-term sustainability of our business and the role it has in Teesside’s exciting industrial future”.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “As a region we are at the forefront of the UK’s green industrial revolution and companies like Wilton are playing a huge part in this. “
The picture above shows, from left, EEW/OSB deputy managing director Mike Wood, FW Capital investment executive Alex Gent, Wilton CEO Bill Scott OBE, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Louise Duffy, banking partner at Muckle LLP.
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