Wakefield engineering firm invests £800k and creates 21 jobs

Advanced engineering company Group Rhodes has moved to new premises and created a raft of jobs.

The Wakefield-based firm invested £800k in refurbishing and re-equipping a new manufacturing facility on Calder Vale, where it has taken on 21 new staff.

Group Rhodes designs, manufactures and services machinery for the clay preparation, metalworking and materials handling industries.

The six-figure investment included the installation of heating and extraction systems, office equipment, electrics and IT systems, mezzanine flooring and production machinery.

A grant of £70k from the Leeds City Region LEP helped create the jobs, which included CNC machine operators, service engineers and production support personnel.

The latest expansion has taken the total invested in Group Rhodes over the last 12 months to more than £1m, following the acquisition of eight new commercial vehicles for its fleet.

Mark Ridgway, chief exec of Group Rhodes, said: “By operating from these purpose-equipped premises and with access to the latest technology and equipment, we can now collaborate even better as a business and extend our growth into new UK and international markets, creating further prosperity in this region.

“We are very excited about what the future holds for all our staff and our business.”

The new site located half a mile from where Group Rhodes was founded in 1824.