Yorkshire contractor named for £12m North East manufacturing innovation hub

A Yorkshire-based construction group has been appointed to construct a new £12m manufacturing facility in the North East.

Leeds firm GMI Construction Group has been appointed by Henry Boot Developments (HBD) to deliver the new Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Advanced Manufacturing (CESAM) at The International Manufacturing Park (IAMP) in Sunderland.

The 126,279 sq ft manufacturing and teaching centre, a joint venture between Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council with HBD as delivery partner, aims to give manufacturers across the region access to opportunities for innovation, adoption and knowledge transfer.

Lee Powell, GMI’s divisional managing director, commented: “GMI are absolutely delighted to have been instructed on this game-changing north east development by our trusted client, Henry Boot Developments.

In recent years, we have received numerous instructions to build automotive and manufacturing developments, which this project is a further example of. We look forward to working with Henry Boot Developments and CESAM on this exciting project, and to play a role in bringing forward the pioneering IAMP scheme.“

Tom Wheldon, Regional Manager at Henry Boot, said: “IAMP offers a unique opportunity for advanced manufacturing businesses to supercharge their growth targets, and will no doubt prove the perfect location for CESAM’s manufacturing and teaching facility.

“It will bring significant investment and employment returns into the area and we’ve been very encouraged by conversations taking place with prospective occupiers.”