A Finnish company specialising in loaders is set to create a new UK HQ in Bury St Edmunds.
Developer Churchmanor Estates has submitted plans for a 32,200sq ft UK headquarters, training, and distribution facility for Avant Tecno UK.
The new building is earmarked for Zone 1 of Suffolk Business Park, off junction 45 of the A14 dual carriageway, opposite cordless power tools & site equipment firm Festool UK.
Around 30 people will be employed at the site. Avant Tecno currently has a site at Manor Farm, Bridgham, near Thetford. It is now looking to expand, explained Avant UK managing director Raimo Ala-Korpi.
"Avant Tecno (UK) Ltd has enjoyed a sustainable period of growth in recent years, and consequently has outgrown the existing office and warehouse facilities," he said.
"Our new purpose-built HQ, operator training, and warehouse facility represents a significant capital investment and is a commitment to the future in UK for our customers, dealer network and staff.
"The current arrangement with staff and products split across multiple smaller premises is not practical to allow for the workplace environment, sustainability, and efficiency that our business requires.
"The proposed development project and plot provides an opportunity to serve our customers better, to double our business in future years, and a location for potential future expansion."
Bury St. Edmunds was the "perfect location" for the growing machinery brand, he said, and offered "a versatile talent pool to grow our business to years to come".
"Suffolk Business Park is strategically located next to A14 dual carriageway to allow us to serve swiftly all our nationwide customers," he added.
Matt Cloke, development director at Ipswich-based Churchmanor, said they were "very pleased" to have submitted the application to St Edmundsbury council.
"Avant are the UK market leader in small and medium sized wheeled loading machines, and their arrival in Bury St. Edmunds will help to cement and grow the town’s position in the agricultural technology sector.
"We look forward to seeing development commence on site later this year."
Suffolk Business Park is a new gateway development which aims to supply employment units of various sizes, supported by major infrastructure improvements including the new Eastern Relief Road.
Since 1991, Avant Tecno has manufactured more than 70,000 loaders at its manufacturing plant in Ylöjärvi, Finland.
The company has sales offices in Germany, UK and US, and import partners in more than 55 countries.
End users of its compact loaders include farmers, landscape gardeners, local authorities, horse owners and private individuals.
Suffolk Business Park the Park is shortly to be joined by Weerts BV and a new leisure quarter development with a BP Petrol Station, a McDonalds and a Costa.
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