Engineering firm Halton Flamgard expands by taking entire Welsh Government new build unit

International engineering firm Halton Flamgard has struck a lease deal for the whole of a new build industrial unit in Blaenau Gwent speculatively developed by Welsh Government as it looks to more than double its Welsh workforce.

The company will occupy the 52,588 sq ft Rhyd y Blew One (RYB1) unit, the first development at the 30-acre Welsh Government-owned Rhyd y Blew land site near Ebbw Vale.

Halton Flamgard, which manufactures damper units for clients in specialised industrial sectors, is relocating its smaller operation in Pontypool into RYB1, where over the next three years it plans to see it head count rise from a current 70 to 168. The business was acquired by Finish global group Halton in 2023.

The £8.5m funding for RYB1 came from a Welsh Government £100m commitment back in 2017 for its Tech Valleys initiative, after opting not to back the proposed Circuit of Wales project in Ebbw Vale.

The building was marketed at £6.50p per sq ft, alongside investment opportunities for the entire 30-acre site, on behalf of the Welsh Government by the Cardiff office of property advisory firm Knight Frank.

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said:“We are committed to driving high quality employment opportunities and skills development for local communities across Wales.

“Our significant investment in Rhyd y Blew, which is strategically located in the Ebbw Vale Enterprise Zone, compliments our vision for the Tech Valleys area to become globally recognised for new technologies and the advanced manufacturing sector.

“Attracting an international operation like Halton Flamgard to RYB1 highlights the success of our commercial property strategy to drive future economic growth.

“I wish them well with their ambitious growth plans and look forward to seeing local businesses, communities and supply chains benefit.”