Nifco UK seeks third plastics facility

Plastic automotive parts maker Nifco UK, based at Eaglescliffe, near Stockton is to agree a deal with developers to launch the latest phase of the firm’s expansion as it plans to build the firm’s third new factory this decade.

The new factory will support ambitions to increase staff numbers from 500 to 800 and boost turnover by a third over the next three years.

The firm has been looking at various locations, including sites in Darlington, where it plans to build a new factory to support its expansion plans.

Mike Matthews, Nifco managing director and European operations officer, said: “Nifco is committed to the area, something that has been made clear with the heavy investment we have made in two facilities – and of course the confirmation that we are in talks for a third factory with a number of local sites.”

Since it took over a former shoe heel factory on Yarm Road, Stockton in 1990 Nifco has been hailed by government ministers and automotive leaders as a cornerstone of the UK supply chain.

The company has undergone a turnaround since being close to calling in administrators at the start of the downturn.

Nifco group, with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, has been investing in designing, developing and manufacturing quality components for the global automotive industry. From the interior of a vehicle to the exterior, inclusive of the engine, Nifco has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in many product areas.

Nifco supplies products to all major automotive manufacturers. The company is TS16949 accredited and ISO 14001 as well as Ford Q1, Renault Nissan ASES Grade B and Jaguar Land Rover JLRQ. It recently celebrated 4 million safe working hours.

Founded in 1967 in Tokyo, Nifco has expanded into 17 countries with more than 35 production plants and four R&D centres.

In February Nifco UK announced its largest ever contract. Matthews at the time revealed the contract could be worth as much as £50million with Ford Motor Company.

The multi-year contract will see Nifco produce a complex thermostatic control assembly for a next generation Ford low CO2 engine. Work started immediately as Nifco engineers work with Ford’s product development teams at Ford’s Dunton Research and Engineering Centre, Essex.

The new deal secures up to 50 new jobs for the region.