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Alan Shearer marks reopening of Newcastle’s Armstrong Works following £20m investment

Newcastle United and England legend Alan Shearer officially reopened Newcastle’s historic Armstrong Works today, following a £20m transformation creating 100 jobs.

Former owners of the site, BAE Systems, closed the factory in 2012 - a move which many feared would end heavy engineering on Tyneside. However, the new, multi-million pound cash injection reinforces the region’s legacy as a renowned leader in innovative engineering.

The works were made famous for producing the hydraulics for Newcastle’s Swing Bridge and London’s Tower Bridge, as well as parts for the Spitfire and the ‘bouncing bombs’ used by the Dambusters. It also made the first breech-loading gun for the war in Crimea and Chieftain tanks in the Second World War.

The latest investment sees the vast structure, stretching the length of five football pitches along the Scotswood Road, revived and reinvented as the new home of leading engineering company Reece Group and its 500 employees. The North East family firm is the holding company with engineering businesses operating in the defence, oil and gas, power generation, construction, medical and subsea markets.

Officially opening the factory, which features in the song the Blaydon Races, Newcastle and England footballing legend Alan Shearer OBE, himself a Tyneside icon said: “I am delighted to be asked to officially open the redeveloped Armstrong Works. The commitment of the Reece Group to the region is truly impressive. They have ensured the historic Armstrong Works with its industrial heritage remains in the hands of local innovative engineers.”

Over 100 guests took a behind the scenes tour of the state-of-the-art facility which included a glimpse of part of the British Army’s Challenger 2 tank fleet, back in the factory where they were made, as they undergo structural assessments.

Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes said: “The reopening of the Armstrong works is great news for Newcastle, and a real sign of what can be achieved here.

“I am delighted to see the investment in our city carried out by the Reece Group, not just in terms of our history and our buildings, but in our people as well. We see here a growing business with a global presence and a uniquely skilled specialist engineering workforce, all on the banks of the Tyne.”

Reece Group Chairman John Reece MBE said: “We are delighted to move into the iconic Armstrong Works, synonymous with the best of British Engineering. The new facility provides our group companies with an outstanding capability which is already attracting a wide range of new customers to each of our engineering businesses as well as increasing our scope to supply existing customers. “

“We believe engineering and manufacturing still has a valid and prosperous future in the North East and we place great emphasis on research and development. Our investment at Scotswood Road includes the creation of the Reece Innovation Centre whose focus will be to design the Group’s next generation of innovative engineering products.”

“More poignantly for me personally is that the Reece Group will be located at the very site where my father, the late Dr Alan Reece, developed his enthusiasm for what he called ‘real engineering’ in his first job as an apprentice for Vickers Armstrong.”

As well as investing in facilities, Reece Group companies have invested in apprenticeships with over 10% of employees on apprenticeship programmes.

Reece Group CEO Phil Kite said: “The move to the Armstrong Works has been two years in the planning. Our Pearson’s defence business now has the capability to refurbish, integrate systems and manufacture armoured vehicles and our Responsive Engineering business is now able to offer a complete subcontract manufacturing service with over 40 CNC machine tools, an extensive range of laser, water and plasma cutters and over 200 welders and platers.

“Our impact on the Scotswood Road will be felt beyond the employment we bring to the area. The Reece Foundation was set up by the Reece family to support good causes primarily associated with encouraging more children to take up STEM subjects and follow a career in engineering. Over the last 10 years it has donated £15m to good causes. In the West End of Newcastle the Reece Group has supported organisations associated with business start-ups, youth development, education and sport.”

Known to many as the Vickers tank factory, the Armstrong Works has been a centre of British engineering for over 160 years since it was founded by one of the country’s greatest industrialists and philanthropists Lord Armstrong.