2 minute read - 19th July 2024
IMI to relocate Dorset factory to new purpose-built facility in Poole
IMI Process Automation is to make a major investment in Poole and relocate an existing factory to a new purpose-built facility. The company’s new 105,000 sq ft site will manufacture a broad range of products for critical applications in challenging operational environments. These will include high-integrity solenoid valves, pressure regulators and other industrial components for its IMI Herion, IMI Maxseal and IMI Thompson Valves brands. The facility will also provide additional local manufacturing capacity for other IMI businesses.
A state-of-the-art customer experience centre is planned as part of the site to further immerse existing and potential clients in the full journey of IMI’s Process Automation solutions. Upon completion, the new site is also expected to create a number of jobs, a move the company says will cement its status as a leading employer in the Poole area. Subject to planning permission and construction timetables, IMI aims to complete the final handover in early 2026.
IMI Process Automation is to make a major investment in Poole and relocate an existing factory to a new purpose-built facility / Picture: IMI Process Automation
Innovations at the new facility will also include IMI’s ongoing efforts to decarbonise manufacturing sites across all its global businesses. Sustainability measures set to be implemented at the site include solar heating and photovoltaic panels, while 30% of its parking spaces will be for electric cars.
Gary Clapcott, managing director of the IMI Poole site, said: “We wanted to build a new facility that would showcase IMI as a centre of engineering excellence for critical applications across the energy, chemical and marine industries. The investment will allow us to provide a world-class working environment for our employees and an excellent experience for our customers. As one of Poole’s leading employers for more than six decades, we remain highly committed to our local community. This move to a new facility further underlines that IMI will be part of the town’s long-term future and continue to be a responsible and considerate employer.
“Providing solutions for a better world is a key cornerstone of IMI’s business strategy, so it is important that we practice what we preach. The new facility is not just an investment in the future of the business – it is also part of our commitment to a more sustainable way of working, both in how we manufacture our products and the applications they will ultimately operate in.”
