Member Article

BAM Construction to rebuild burned down £25 million Airedale factory in Leeds

BAM Construction is to build a £25 million replacement facility for Airedale International whose Leeds factory was partially destroyed by fire last year.

The manufacturer, who develops specialist cooling systems predominately for the data centre industry, quickly resumed production at alternative premises in Leeds while the demolition and rebuild programme takes place.

With an area of 166 x 130 metres, the footprint will be broadly similar to the original plant but the internal layout will be redesigned. The manufacturer is aiming for an environmental rating of BREEAM ‘Very Good’.

BAM will also project-manage the challenge of ensuring production resumes from the Rawdon site next summer without disruption to workflow.

The contractor, which has offices in Leeds, is no stranger to big manufacturing projects in Yorkshire. It has recently handed over the Advanced Blade Casting facility in Rotherham for Rolls-Royce, and an advanced Nuclear Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield.

Construction director Kelvin Pollard said: “BAM is looking forward to providing a first-class facility for the staff of Airedale International.

“Airedale showed tremendous determination in getting back to ‘business as usual’ so quickly, and has some hard-hitting plans for future growthin the UK and globally.We will use all our skills and experience to help them into a new era.”

“This is a third major industrial project for BAM in the Yorkshire region recently.”

“These are complex projects and it is a really good sector to have established ourselves in, with investment beginning to flow again since the recession.”

The Airedale project is due to start on site in early July, with completion scheduled for August 2015.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .