Dormer Tools Ltd - Mixed-Use Development - Sheffield, Advanced Manufacturing Park

Date: 15 Feb 2008

One of the UK's best-known engineering names - now a leading global brand - is going back to its roots as part of a substantial investment at a world class location.

Dormer Tools - part of the Swedish-based Sandvik Group - is to build a new 20,000 sq ft state of the art facility at the innovative, at the groundbreaking Advanced Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire.

The new multi-million pound home for Dormer in the UK will feature:

·A major research and development facility, which in collaboration with partner organisations such as the University of Sheffield will see Dormer push back the boundaries of tool design

·A custom-built international standard training centre

·Global corporate functions such as IT, sales and marketing and product management

·An international export service to support emerging and developing markets.

Dormer staff currently based at the Shireoaks Road site in Worksop will transfer to the new location on the outskirts of Sheffield and Rotherham.

Nick Garner, Managing Director of Dormer Tools Ltd, said: "The move to the Advanced Manufacturing Park heralds a new era in the history of Dormer Tools UK which started so long ago in Sheffield.

"Dormer is a name synonymous not just with its humble beginnings in South Yorkshire but today is recognised globally with world brand leadership in engineering cutting tools, innovative tooling solutions, and revolutionary design technologies."

The exciting venture will capitalise on the engineering and management expertise of the region and also benefit from a large investment in a strengthened Research and Development facility - a cornerstone of Dormer success as a global brand.

Investments by Yorkshire Forward and the European Union's European Regional Development Fund have helped fund the project, while the property and construction departments at DLA Piper, Sheffield Office dealt with the transaction on behalf of Dormer.

A key focus will be the development of new tools for machining of advanced aerospace materials, high performance drilling and specialist applications in sectors such as motorsport and medical equipment.

"In collaboration with our partners, such as the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing at the University of Sheffield, we will continue to push back the boundaries of tooling design and our commitment to maximise productivity opportunities of our customers," added Mr Garner.

Fittingly Dormer's new home, designed by Sheffield architects Bond Bryan, will take prime position at the heart of the AMP.

Nigel Bullivant, Dormer's Chief Information Officer, said: "This initiative signifies Dormer's commitment not only to build a new building of some 20,000 sq ft but also for us to be a part of what we are convinced will be a major area for innovation in the heart of the UK and northern Europe.

"This project is about the future and, as such, Dormer in partnership with our developers 'Strategic Sites' have made every effort to continue the environmental excellence ethos already evident on the site.

"It has been imperative to us to ensure that all design aspects of the building have been carefully considered, providing our staff and the future population of the surrounding area with a building of excellent rating when it comes to environmental impact."

Regeneration specialist Strategic Sites has teamed up with UK Coal to form a new joint venture called the UK Strategic Partnership to develop 94,000 sq ft (8,732 sq m) of industrial space within the AMP.

Anuj Joshi, managing director of Strategic Sites, said: "The AMP is one of the most significant regeneration schemes in the Yorkshire region and we are delighted that a company of the quality of Dormer Tools and its association with the aerospace and metals industry is to occupy 20,000 sq feet of this phase.

"Interest in the AMP is strong with a range of buildings ideally suited for expanding companies to occupy and grow their business," added Mr Joshi.

Jim Farmery, Head of Innovation from Yorkshire Forward, said: "The Advanced Manufacturing Park has a growing international reputation for the innovative development of new ways of machining and manufacturing. Yorkshire Forward welcomes Dormer's decision to locate on the AMP, which is testament to its success."

Other professional advisors in the project included structural engineers Eastwoods.

With links to Sheffield Twist Drill, which started out in 1903, Dormer Tools was launched in 1913 developing its headquarters on a site at the junction of Summerfield Street and Cemetery Road, Sheffield

A computer generated image of the new Dormer Tools building at the groundbreaking Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP)

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