UK glass cord manufacturer NGF Europe, is to invest £4 million at its site in St Helens, with the creation of 24 new jobs.
The site will become the first fully-integrated high tensile strength glass cord manufacturing factory in Europe and the only such facility outside Japan.
The investment was made possible by a £500,000 Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative grant (part of the UK Government Regional Growth Fund ).
It will add a fibre-forming facility at the site, an important primary process in glass cord manufacture, involving the production of glass fibre filament.
The growth in the market for high tensile strength glass cord created by technological developments in the automotive market has led to the decision to invest in a facility which will manufacture the filament from raw materials.
The new facility will shorten production times with the site reducing its dependency on filament delivery from NSG in Japan and reduce transport costs and environmental impact, in line with NSG Group’s Sustainability agenda.
Work will begin on the new facility later this month with the new fibre forming line expected to be commissioned in June 2013. Recruitment for the 24 new posts will begin in January. NGF Europe is part of the NSG Group of companies.
